Flying Sparks
by sparksflying
Summary: The third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, or rather, how I would write it. Please enjoy and comment! CF spoilers. Rated T for violence, mild language and adult content. COMPLETE.
1. 1: Part I The Bait

**PART I: **

**"THE BAIT"**

(1)

I wake to find Gale and Madge watching me, seated in separate chairs a bit away from the bed I am resting in. They are holding hands and this bothers me like you wouldn't believe. Madge, seeing my eyes flutter open, lets go of Gale's hand and brushes the hair out of my eyes.

"How are you doing Katniss?" Madge says in her sweet tone. She grabs both of my hands and holds them in her own. A rush of jealousy goes through my body. Madge. Gale. They were spending time together. Alone.

I moan and try to sit up. Gale comes over to me and says in a harsh tone that makes Madge release my hands, "Stay down."

_Stay down. _The very two words that have been haunting me. I've heard them in my nightmares, Johanna calling to me.

Then, I think of Peeta. Peeta is all I can think about anymore. Peeta, who insisted I stay alive in order to live a life I knew I could never have. I feel like I've failed him.

What if it was not me, but Peeta who had gone with Johanna in those last crucial minutes of the Quell? Would he still be alive? Would_ I_ still be alive? Probably not. Peeta couldn't have been the one anyway. Johanna, Finnick and Beetee would have never let it happen. They were given special instructions to keep _me_ alive. Had it not been for Haymitch, would they have slit Peeta's throat?

Gale touches my shoulder and says, "Don't worry. You'll see your mother and Prim very soon." His voice is comforting, but I don't believe what he is saying is true.

Without thinking, I push his hand away, off my shoulder, and roll over to face opposite from the pair of them. Gale and Madge. They want me to live, but I feel like I'm losing the will to stay alive. My heart keeps taking me back to Peeta: his kind heart, loving ways and sweet gestures. Also, his effective lying.

I sigh and groan in pain. My head is on fire with fever and my stomach feels empty. I don't think I've eaten for at least a day or so.

Gale returns to his chair. I can hear the chair sink from his weight. Madge whispers something to him. I don't see it, but I hear her hushed tone and then he responds aloud, "I don't think so. _He_ has lied before to save her. I'm sure he'd do it again."

At first, I didn't know what Madge could have asked, but by the way Gale had said "_he"_, almost as if the "_he"_ was an "_it"_, I knew she must have asked about something Peeta had said. Peeta's said a lot of things. Gale's words hit me hard. _He has lied before to save me._ It's true. His undying love for me. Our secret marriage in District 12. The baby. That must have been what she was wondering. Was any of it true?

Gale knew it wasn't. He probably saw right through Peeta's answers to Caesar Flickerman's questions. But Peeta had fooled everyone else. Even Madge. If I hadn't been part of his lies, I think I'd have believed him too. He was really a very convincing liar.

I feel very sore and exhausted. From what, I have no idea. I assume it's just after effects of the Games. I wish Gale and Madge would leave me alone. I need to sleep or think about my next plan in action against the Capitol.

Then, I hear the door open and Haymitch's deep, sober voice booms in the room, "Is she awake?"

I turn to face him and respond, "Well, now I am." I act like he's annoyed me by disturbing some kind of impending sleep.

This is the second time I've seen him since the end of the Quell and I don't think it's hit me yet just how much I missed him, just how grateful I am that he is alive. So, I'm rude. Plain, old, rude Katniss Everdeen who never appreciates people until they are gone. Like losing Rue. And now Peeta. President Snow will surely torture him in every way possible. He'll hurt him and make his death slow and painful just to remind rebels how strong the Capitol is and how the star-crossed lovers cannot overcome every obstacle thrown at them. All Peeta wanted was for me to live.

Haymitch hands me a glass of water and for the first time, I realize I'm parched. The cool liquid pours down my throat and I close my eyes. It's good to have clean, fresh water.

"We're almost to District 13," he announces in a solemn state.

I nod and take more sips of my water. Madge and Gale stand up and walk out, as if on cue. Haymitch paces back and forth in front of my bed, as if he is getting ready to break some news. There is a knock on the door. Haymitch opens it and accepts a tray of food from what looks to be a young girl. He hands the tray to me and I start gobbling down all kinds of treasures: meat, soup, and thankfully, no bread from District 3.

Haymitch watches me eat in silence, but he doesn't have to wait long. I've finished everything in a matter of minutes. He continues his pacing and begins what he wants to say, "After we got you from the arena, they doctors hooked up some machines to fix your arm and the rest of your body. I tried to tell them that the whole thing that Peeta said, about the pregnancy, was just a way to divert the Capitol's attention."

I'm unsure where he is going with this. Just making some conversation? I nod again to show I'm listening.

He runs his fingers through his hair, "They didn't listen to me though. They insisted to check on the baby. I told them there would be nothing to look for. It was all just part of the plan."

I now have a sense of where this is going and my heart skips a beat. I gasp for air.

"Well, it turns out, sweetheart, it wasn't just another convincing lie from Peeta Mellark."

I lean over the side of my bed and throw up my meal.

The next thing I know, Haymitch is standing over me. He looks quite somber and unmoved. I've never seen him like this before. He asks me, "You didn't know, did you?"

I shake my head viciously, "No! It's impossible! There must be some kind of mistake. Peeta and I never…"

I'm about to object to what Peeta and I have never done. But then, I realized that a few weeks ago, the night before the Quarter Quell began, I remember bringing Peeta back to my room. That was the day he dropped the baby bomb on the Capitol. It was in the late hours of the night, a long time after we were supposed to have fallen asleep. He had whispered in my ear. I responded to his call.

Haymitch sees my hesitation and takes my bewilderment to confirm what he was thinking that must have happened.

"Oh… but you did," his serious expression is changed into a look of anger.

I am utterly shocked. With my mouth ajar, I stare into nothingness.

"Search back through your memory…" he stares at me in an intense way and I struggle to fight back tears. Then I look back at him and he takes this to mean I've come up with an explanation. But I remain silent. "You see? The stupid mistakes you teenagers make!" Haymitch knocks over something and my glass of water falls and shatters on the ground.

I'm so stunned I don't defend myself. Instead, through all the shame and confusion, I manage to ask Haymitch the one question that was bothering me the most. "Does anyone else know?" By anyone else, I mean Gale and I'm sure Haymitch knows this too.

He clenches his fist and sits back down, "No."

I am very grateful he hasn't told anyone. However, he adds something else.

"As soon as you get better, you have to tell everyone. Your mother, Prim, Madge, Finnick, even your beloved cousin…" he says in a mocking tone.

I turn red, if I wasn't already purple by then. Gale can't know. He told Madge he thought that Peeta was faking everything. Even though what Peeta had said (at the time) was untrue, his words were now truth and I am, in complete irony, pregnant.

I ask Haymitch to leave and he deliberately sits in his chair and watches me. His presence is bothering and I just want to be alone. Then, I realize I can never be alone. A second heart will soon be beating inside of me.

He recognizes how afraid I am and cools off. "Well, I'm no doctor, but…" Haymitch trails off.

I don't really want an answer. I just wanted him to say he was making some kind of joke or something. But he doesn't.

I fall into a daze in the minutes to come. Doctors surround me and do several tests. I don't pay much attention. After they are done, I snap back into reality. I've been so strong for the past two years. No one has seen my real emotions. It seems like I shouldn't be crying, but then I realize that this baby inside of me might be the last part of Peeta I have. Then I remember the pearl, Peeta finding it inside an oyster. He had brought it to me and said, "For you." And I had kept it. That's why I'm crying. I've lost Peeta and he will never get to meet his child.

Haymitch walks up to me and holds my hand. It is the simplest gesture, but it means the world to me. I feel something small fall into my grasp. He lets go and I open up my hand. Inside, sure enough, is my pearl. I fall asleep immediately.

The next day, I sit up in bed and feel much better. The pain in my head is still there and my stomach is killing me, but my arm is healing.

I climb out of the covers and find the little girl, who had brought Haymitch my food yesterday, standing right outside my door. She looks like she is from District 12 with her black hair and olive skin, but I have never seen her before.

"Have you seen Haymitch?" I ask her.

"Yes, follow me." She responds. She leads me around corners and through several doors. I get lost and confused. My head is spinning and I feel woozy.

I decide to ask her, "What's your name?"

"Leanore," she says immediately.

Even though I'm sure she knows more about me than I do, I say, "I'm Katniss."

She nods and then replies, "Haymitch is in here." She points to the door we are standing in front of.

"Thanks," I turn the handle and walk inside.

I find myself in a small study. Haymitch takes a minute to notice me. He is pacing again. Finally, without looking me in the eyes, he tosses me some clothes and tells me to leave. I feel odd, as if I've done something wrong, when I realize I have. Getting pregnant was not part of the plan.

When I walk out, Leanore is gone. I don't remember how I got to where I am, so I change in the nearest bathroom.

The clothes are simple. Black fitted t-shirt and black sweat pants. I put them on and wish Cinna had made my clothes. I miss him more than ever. I'm sure Cinna would have tons of fun with a maternity line. Cinna! I remember what had happened just before the Games had started. He too, has been captured by the Capitol. I don't even know if he is still alive.

I've just tied my shoes when I hear the bathroom door open. I see two pairs of feet. One pair has on white ballet flats. The other, hiking boots. Gale's hiking boots.

Making sure my feet are concealed, I listen in on their conversation. I hear Madge speak first, "We've got to tell her, Gale! She has to know!"

Gale raises his voice and responds, "No! We can't. It will crush her. Think, Madge! How would you feel if you were in her situation?"

Madge whimpers and doesn't respond to Gale's question. "What if they die before we can help them?"

"The people of the Capitol still don't know if the victor they are talking about is her. They think she's dead! That should give us some time."

Gale and Madge fall silent. I watch their feet.

Madge walks closer to him. "What's she going to think?"

"About what?"

"About all of this. When she finds out about… us," she whispers softly.

A sharp pang hits me. So there is something going on between Gale and Madge. And they didn't think it was obvious?

Gale's voice lowers, "I think she'll be happy for us."

I must have made some kind of noise, maybe something that resembled a dying animal, because I can just picture the sneer on Gale's face right before he swings open the door of the stall I'm behind.

He doesn't look surprised at all. "Hey, Catnip," he says almost casually.

"How'd you know I was here?" I sound like a child playing hide and seek.

Gale shakes his head. I look at Madge and her face is tear-stained.

Suddenly, I'm confused. "How long has this been going on?" I wonder aloud. I'm referring, of course, to their relationship. Madge understands, but Gale looks confused.

"Almost two years now," Madge answers without hesitation. "We became especially close when you went to the Games with Peeta the first year. Some days we would sit together and watch you, hold hands during your trials and make silent prayers for your survival. We both care about you very much, Katniss. Especially Gale, because he's known you for so long," she explains.

I turn to him and he nods slowly in confirmation for what she's said. "You do?" I ask, longing for something I don't think is true.

Gale looks at Madge and then faces me again, "Of course I do." His face is troubled. I don't think Madge knows exactly how much Gale and I have been through the past two years.

"But I thought…"my voice cracks and before the words escape my lips, I think. Gale had never said anything that completely confirmed how he felt about me, but after his suggestion to run away with me and the way he kissed me when I came back from the 74th Hunger Games as victor, I had thought he had cared about me in a different way. I had thought Gale was actually in love with me.

All these realizations hit me in one moment. I change the topic quickly and say, "What do I need to know, Madge?"

Madge opens her mouth to answer, but Gale quickly covers it and stops her from talking. She looks very upset, but determined to tell me what she has to say.

"Plutarch Heavensbee should tell you," Gale resolves and Madge stops her effort to let me know.

"Ok..." I follow Gale and Madge out of the restroom and my head starts to spin. Gale and Madge? And what could be so bad that Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker, would need to tell me directly? They take me to another room, similar to Haymitch's, and Plutarch is sitting down at his desk.

"Ahh… Katniss," he says, almost as if he was expecting me to walk in at that moment. "I suppose you want to know what's happening. Come sit down."

Gale and Madge leave and I sit in a chair on the other side of his desk. He pulls out a remote, clicks a few buttons and a projector comes down from the ceiling, facing a plain white wall.

"The people in the Capitol are angry."

I nod. They should be. The world is turning upside down.

"Everyone was following the Games and they got very upset when the cameras filming the Quell were 'destroyed.'"

I know what he is talking about. The Capitol made up some kind of an excuse to cut out all the footage of the last day of the Games. The people at the Capitol had never seen what happened with me. How I was taken by the hovercraft from District 13. How Peeta, Johanna and Enobaria were captured after the explosion.

"They also explained our 'deaths.' Yours, Finnick's, Beetee's and mine. The Capitol citizens were shocked, but let me tell you, the people in the Districts can tell every explanation was a lie. Everyone in the Capitol demanded they didn't get the Quell they wanted," Plutarch speaks slowly, "So, they asked for another one."

Plutarch grabs the remote and flips on the TV. The anthem is playing and the simple wooden box holding the card marked with the years is held by the very man I despise so much. President Snow is on the screen, in front of a big, calm, admiring crowd. The very sight of him makes me want to throw up. He begins by telling every one of the Dark Days, a speech I have heard several times in my life. But this time it is different. He stresses almost everything in an ominous way. Then, he repeats about what they did in the 25th and 50th anniversaries Quells. Finally, he gets to the 75th Quell.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes were reaped from the existing pool of victors," he says. This reminds me of what had happened just a few weeks ago. I remember how everyone at my engagement party had been stunned. What has the Capitol come up with now?

"Unfortunately, this Quell was unfinished and all but three of the tributes died. Now, we will honor a second 75th anniversary Quell."

Another Quell. I can see where this is going.

President Snow takes out a card marked with a 75. I wonder how many cards in the box are marked with 75's. "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder that everyone important to a rebel will die, the male and female tributes will be the friends and family of a former victor."

Plutarch turns off the TV. I gasp. I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this. But, now I understand. Bait.


	2. 2

(2)

I had to have known they'd pull a stunt like this. The perfect opportunity to kill everyone I care about, and have an excuse for it. No doubt I will be the lucky victor to be targeted.

Plutarch Heavensbee gives me a sympathetic look, "You understand what this means, right?"

I try to explain my reasoning. "One former victor will be selected 'randomly' from the existing pool of victors to have 24 people who are their closest friends and family thrown into the Arena to kill each other. It is meant to torture the victor chosen. Am I right?"

"Right on, Katniss," he sighs.

I realize something just then that the Capitol may have forgotten, "But aren't I supposed to be dead? Then I can't be in the pool."

"I don't think it matters if you are alive. But you can bet all 76 slips of paper in the Victor Reaping Ball will have your name on it," he says in a flat tone.

I nod. You'd think the situation would make me depressed, but, in fact, it does the opposite. I feel ready to fight.

I get up to leave, but Plutarch has something else to say, "No matter how much they hurt your friends, no matter how many of them die, you have to promise me you will not try and rescue them. You must leave that to us. You're too important to risk losing. You're the mockingjay, Katniss. Without you, there would be no rebellion."

I hate this. Why do I have to be the one who stands for the uprisings? Why did I have to pull out those stupid berries? I don't promise anything to Plutarch. Instead, I reply with, "I understand."

I open the door and walk out, leaving Plutarch alone in his room. I let what's going to happen sink in. Any day now, the Capitol will draw my name out of the Reaping Ball and then all of my friends will be put in the arena. Some of them will die, but I'm sure they'll barely keep alive people like Peeta. I expect they will make his death long and painful.

I take my time to walk around the hovercraft. Who knew they could be so large? I spot Gale and Madge in the hall, talking in hushed voices. This makes me think they are keeping something from me. Gale has made me an eavesdropper. Before they can see me, I slip around the corner. I can only catch a few words from both of them.

Madge says, "Are you sure? What about… would she…?"

Gale responds, "Even if this isn't the best time… I'm sure she… I need you, Madge. We need each other."

Now I'm mad. Gale does** not** need Madge. I walk casually up to them to break the lovefest.

"How'd it go?" Gale asks me.

"I'm not shocked. I mean, they had to come up with some way to kill Peeta, right?" I reply angrily. I'm upset with Gale.

Gale and Madge frown, "I know you're upset about this. It's going to be ok. Haymitch is making a plan."

Great. Now I feel so much better. "Where is he?" I ask.

Before either of them can answer, Haymitch appears behind me and answers, "We've arrived." Right at that moment, the hovercraft lands smoothly on the ground and District 13, a far off and unknown place to me, becomes more of a reality.

Madge breathes in deeply and Gale puts his arms around her. I'm nervous too. Right now, I have no idea what District 13 will be like. I'm so overwhelmed right now; another surprise would toss me overboard. But I suppose there is nothing left to the rest of my life but lots of twists and turns.

The four of us walk silently, with Haymitch leading. I bite my lip until it bleeds and think of nothing but the warm blood in my mouth. I wouldn't know what to think about, anyways. There is so much on my mind. My life has officially turned upside down.

I haven't seen Finnick or Beetee for two days. Truth be told, I haven't really thought about them at all. Beetee is still recovery, Haymitch explains, but Finnick joins us right before we exit the hovercraft. He is handsome as ever, but something inside him has changed that you can see only through his eyes.

"Katniss," he says upon seeing me. His voice is no longer hoarse.

"Finnick," I say in return. I'm happy to see him, but I don't want to think about anything and talking to him would provoke some feelings for sure.

Haymitch rounds us up and lectures, "I'm not sure what's going to happen when we open these doors but no matter what, you've got to promise we'll stick together and no one will get distracted. You can socialize and have reunions later."

Reunions? What in all of Panem is he talking about? Gale and Madge look perplexed too but Finnick nods in understanding.

"Alright? Alright," Haymitch smiles, "Sweetheart, you look miserable. Lighten up."

I think I made some sort of an attempt to smile, because Finnick, who was staring intently at me started laughing. Yes, laughing. When was the last time I laughed for real? I can't remember it. Surely, it was a long time ago. Maybe even over 2 years ago.

Haymitch presses a button and the door blocking us off from District 13 rises.

Behind it, are hundred, no, thousands of blank, staring faces, all looking at us. They are expecting something to happen.

On impulse, I grab Finnick's hand. It is cold as ice. Then, I reach for Haymitch's hand and interlock my fingers with his. His hand is just the opposite of Finnick's. It is hot and sweaty. Haymitch understands what I am trying to do. He grabs Madge's hand, who was already holding Gale's, and together we all raise our hands up in triumph.

Everything is quiet for a few seconds. The people of District 13 are processing what is happening. They stare at us. The blood rushes down my arm. You can hear a pin drop. Then, the crowd erupts with praises. Everyone is calling my name. There is clapping, shouting and cheers. They are in love with me. These are the rebels and I am their leader. I look through the crowd. Their faces are filled with hope. So, for their sake, I hold my head high, just like Cinna taught me too. I show no weakness.

The cheers continue for ten minutes or so, at least, it feels that long. Finally, Haymitch releases my hand and motions the crowd to be silent. Obediently, they stop yelling.

"To my left, I present Finnick Odair…" Haymitch calls out across the square. More cheering. For the first time, I actually look around at the surroundings. There aren't very many trees. In the distance, I see several buildings.

"Katniss Everdeen," Haymitch gestures to me and the crowd goes wild. It takes Haymitch several attempts to get them to settle down, "To my right, Madge Undersee, daughter of the mayor of District 12."

Polite applause follows. I don't suppose they know Madge. I look at Gale. He makes eye contact with me and smiles. It is a friendly smile. Not a loving smile. My heart aches.

"Also to my right, Gale Hawthorne," Haymitch finishes his introductions. The crowd claps for Gale, but there is more chatter than cheering. _Is this her cousin? _People are buzzing about and making comments about Gale. How attractive he is, how similar we look and also, why is he still holding Madge's hand?

I look back at Gale again. He doesn't look the same as when Haymitch was announcing Madge. He looks completely shocked. Then I follow his eyes. There is a middle-aged man yelling and waving, saying, "Gale!"

Gale let's go of Madge's hand and runs out into the crowd. So much for sticking together and not getting distracted. Gale meets up with the man and they embrace. Who is this guy?

Another man is pushing through the crowd and is making a lot of noise. He's yelling, "Katniss! Katniss!" By the way he is shouting, you'd think his life depended on it. But as he emerges from the mob, I understand. Our eyes meet.

I'm looking at my father.


	3. 3

(3)

At first, the rest of the world is a blur. There is nothing but my father and me in this world. I run into his arms just like I did when I was a little girl. I haven't seen him for 6 years, but he looks almost the same. His firm hands hold me as I hug him and memories of our lives together replace all other thoughts and feelings. I keep asking, "How?" like a child. "How, daddy, how?" This reunion with him has given me the illusion all my troubles have gone away. My father is alive.

Reunion. Haymitch's words ring in my head. "You can socialize and have reunions later."

"Katniss…" he coos into my left ear.

I break apart from him and say, "I've got to go back." My father gives me an understanding glance as I leave him. I tell myself we'll have plenty of time to catch up later.

I see Gale is now talking with the man he ran to. That's when it hits me. This must be Gale's father. I've never met him, but over the years I've known Gale, I've thought many times if I knew Mr. Hawthorne, I'd probably like him a lot.

I walk up to Gale and pull him away, reminding him softly in his ear about what Haymitch had said. Gale looks ecstatic to be with his father again.

As we start walking, Gale calls back to his father, "Where's mom? Rory, Vick, Posy? Where are they?"

Gale's father stops smiling and shook his head.

"What?" Gale's face goes blank. He furrows his brow and drops his bottom lip just so you could see his top teeth.

"Gale…" I tug on his arm and he doesn't respond. "Gale!" I slap his face back into reality. Maybe I wasn't just trying to get him to come with me. There was some real hatred in that slap. How could he choose Madge over me? There is a fiery, red mark on his check.

"But, Katniss…" Gale doesn't look angry. He looks very upset. He extends his arm out in his father's direction, but I yank his shoulder really hard to release some pain and he follows me.

Haymitch is obviously quite disheartened that we didn't listen to him. I explain about how we say our fathers and how we thought they were dead, but he cuts me off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Now come with me," he says in a huff.

Madge rejoins Gale and Finnick appears to be wildly surveying the crowd. He is looking for someone. Then, I realize that my whole family should already be here. District 12 should have arrived a few days ago. At least, that's the impression I got from what Gale had said. So, I too look around for my mother and Prim. But I don't see anyone from District 12.

Haymitch leads us into town and the throng follows. We enter a building and no one is permitted to come in. The people of District 13 wait patiently outside, staring up at us through the windows. It's eerie how silent they are. Barely a noise is made by anyone in the crowd.

I now recognize what building we are in. It seems to be a town hall. It isn't very fancy, but I'm impressed with what they've done without being noticed by the Capitol.

The mayor of the town introduces himself to us as Bauer. We shake hands. My question slips out immediately, "Where is District 12?"

Mayor Bauer sighs, "You better all sit down."

We take our seats in a small conference room. It is silent. Haymitch crosses his legs and his face shows no emotion. Finnick is very jittery. He can't sit very still in his seat. Gale still has the same expression as when his father shook his head at him. Madge is looking around at the pictures on the wall. Maybe they remind of her of her father.

"Look, I won't beat around the bush," Mayor Bauer says. "Your hovercraft was the first to arrive in weeks. The District 12 hovercraft's connection was lost. It never landed here."

Haymitch gets up and slams his fists against the wall, screaming lots of curses. One picture Madge was particularly interesting drops to the ground and glass shatters. He asks through clenched teeth, "When did you lose connection?"

Mayor Bauer is unmoved by Haymitch's tantrum, "Within hours of take-off."

Finnick is hunched over with his head in his hands. Gale still looks the same. Madge is perplexed. I wonder what I come across as. Haymitch sits back down.

Madge is the brave one who speaks up, "What does this mean?"

"It means," Haymitch says with steam coming out of his ears, "your mommy and daddy were captured by the Capitol along with everyone else we were trying to get out of District 12. Why didn't you tell us, Bauer?"

"We thought you wouldn't come," he answers under his breath.

"Well, fantastic. They should be here any day now." Leave it to Haymitch for tense sarcasm.

"Not necessarily," Finnick says, arising from his sulking state. "They could have just been getting tributes for the Quell."

Mayor Bauer raises an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Katniss' friends and family. It would have made sense that they were fleeing. They were trying to get away from the firebombs. So they just took them back to the Capitol," Finnick explains.

Is Finnick in on this? How much more does he know than me?

"Good point," Haymitch addresses Finnick.

All of a sudden, there is a pang in my stomach and it hurts like I've been shot. I cry out, "Ahhh!"

Gale snaps out of his nonresponsive state and touches my shoulder. "You ok Katniss?"

"Yeah. Fine," I manage. Gale isn't to know about my pregnancy pains yet.

Madge shoots Gale a glance and he takes his hand off me.

Finnick asks, "Did District 4 come in?"

"No," Bauer answers.

Finnick curses and storms out of the room.

Gale questions, "So my mother and siblings are in the hands of the Capitol?" He turns to face Haymitch, "You said they'd be fine for another week! And what about Katniss' family? Good as dead if you ask me!" Gale follows suit with Finnick.

"Alright, who's next?" Mayor Bauer looks at Haymitch, Madge and me. This comment infuriates Haymitch for some reason. He clenches his fist and deliberately stays rooted to his chair. Madge and I stay put as well. "No one? Good," he says with a weird smile.

"Where's my sister?" I blurt out.

Mayor Bauer shrugs, "The only thing I know is that she was taken by the Capitol."

I'd already guessed this, but the confirmation that it has really happened, that Primrose Everdeen has been captured just for being associated with me, hurts in a new way. She could, no, she _will _die because of my actions.

"Ok." That is all I can mutter as I'm overcome with memories of my sister. She's so young. Now, she'll never get to live the life she deserves. But I guess it wouldn't matter either way, because she wouldn't have the opportunity even if things were still the same with her life in District 12. I can't help but think of what a special person Prim is.

"Excuse me," I say as I get up to go to the bathroom. I leave the office and head for the lady's room. After I wash my hands, I hear yelling coming across from the other bathroom. The men's room.

"Finnick! I love her!" It's Gale and he's probably talking about Madge. Yet, I listen to him.

"Well, then, do something about it!" Finnick lowers his voice, "Come on, these walls aren't sound proof. Keep your voice down."

Gale listens to him, but I can still hear faintly, "How? How am I supposed to proclaim my love for someone who doesn't really care about me. It's frustrating! She probably thinks there is something going on between Madge and me."

My heart stops. He isn't talking about Madge.

"Finnick, Madge says she's getting upset about all this practicing. She just wants me to get out there and tell Katniss the truth," Gale exhales.

Gale still loves me. I've think I nearly fainted then. My head gets all woozy and I fall down. Propping my head up against the wall, I listen to more of their conversation.

"Gale, I think the best thing for you to do is just tell her. Forget Peeta. He is, like you said, good as gone. You need to get closer to her. You need to comfort her," Finnick curses, "You need to..."

That's when I pass out.

Madge finds me. I'm sprawled all over the floor. Giving my shoulder a light touch she says, "What happened?"

I make something up about feeling sick from what's going on. Madge believes me though. She helps me up off the ground and I walk out of the bathroom by leaning on her. Gale and Finnick are waiting outside. Gale rushes to my side and helps Madge support me. Finnick observes us as he leans against the wall with his arms crossed. He has a smug look on his face. He probably figures I heard what Gale had said.

Haymitch comes storming down the hall, "You alright?" he asks without much concern.

"Yeah. Fine," I say. How stupid. That's exactly what I said earlier when I yelled out in pain.

Finnick snickers. He obviously doesn't believe a word of what I say. But come on, who would? Passing out in the bathroom does not translate to "feeling fine."

"Can I go see my father now?" I question Haymitch.

"Sure. Knock yourself out," Haymitch narrows his eyes and the corner of his upper lip curves in a smile. Ha. Knock yourself out. I can hardly contain my laughter.

I practically run out of the town hall. I don't know how I manage, (considering I was just having trouble standing by myself) but I do. Gale is right on my heels. He takes this opportunity to follow some of Finnick's advice. He calls after me, "Slow down Catnip!" Then, he grabs me from behind and locks his arms around me. Gale is holding me. I can't help but laugh. His firm hands have wrapped around my stomach tightly. It hurts, but I try not to show it. We keep walking and laughing as I try to pry away his hands.

Finally, I call out, still laughing and joking, "Gale Hawthorne! You're hurting me!"

He releases his grip around me. "Sorry," he murmurs as he lets me go. I can imagine Finnick hitting himself in the head.

We walk out the door and our fathers are right in the front of the mass of people. I run to mine and Gale walks slowly and confidently towards his.

The moment I wrap my arms around my father, I feel safe. His warmth reminds me of Peeta. Because I just can't wait another second to know, I ask, "How can you still be alive?"

My father brushes the hair out of my eyes and says, "Katniss. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I'm confused.

"The miners of District 12, all those years ago, had decided they wanted to rebel against the Capitol. I didn't want to tell your mother, or anyone else for the matter, about our plan. It would be too dangerous. We were going to escape to District 13. There, we would come up with plans with other rebels to overthrow the Capitol. So, we staged an explosion. Everyone believes we were dead, when really, we had escaped. Understand, Katniss?" he tries to explain.

"Yes," I bury myself in his shirt.

"I didn't want to leave you, your mother and your sister. But, the miners needed me and I knew that you'd be able to take care of the family for me," he continues.

I know it's stupid, but I'm angry with him. He just left, expecting me to step in his place. How could he do that to a child?

"You could imagine how terrible I felt when Prim was chosen for the Games. But you… you were so brave to step in for her, just as you did for me. Katniss…." he holds me close, "Katniss, you're a fighter. Don't stop fighting."

How could I be angry with the man I love so much, who I haven't seen for 6 years, about something that is now the past? I push those feelings aside and say, "I won't."

He pats me on the back and lets me go. I turn to see Gale is talking to his father and pointing to me. So I do the same. "Dad, you see that boy over there?"

Dad looks at Gale, "Oh, Peyton's son. Your cousin, right?" He gives me an amusing smile.

"Yeah…" I smile, "Peyton Hawthorne. Is that his father's name?"

"Yes," my father answers.

"Well, if he asks you if he can marry me, say yes." The words are out of my mouth before I can even explain why I've said them. Firstly, it makes no sense. My father knows I'm officially engaged/ unofficially married to Peeta. Secondly, why would I want to marry Gale? It's not like it would make much of a difference. My life will probably be over within the year. And thirdly… Gale? I guess that's the same as my second reason for objection. Why would that be the first thing I say to my father about him? Why not start out with, "Gale can make some really good snares?" But no. I asked my father to let me marry him. What's wrong with me today?

My father smiles at me, "Alright, I'll keep your opinion in mind."

What an idiot thing to say! Not my father's response (it was actually pretty kind compared to some other things he could say), but my silly first impression to give my father. He will probably now think I'm desperately in love with Gale when I'm not. I think.

While I'm hitting myself in the head, Gale and his father come over.

Gale's father speaks first, "Mason, my boy was telling me all about your daughter."

"Yes. Katniss was doing the same," my father replies with another smile at Gale.

That's when the gong sounds. Bells ring and the once peaceful, quiet and observant crowd becomes chaos. People are running into their homes and I follow my father. Gale and Mr. Hawthorne follow closely behind. We arrive at my father's home. He unlocks the door with a small key and tells me to go to the living room. I find it quickly. He calls out from the kitchen for me to turn on the television. I do so. There on the screen is President Snow. He is reaching into the Victor Reaping Ball. Pulling out a slip of paper, he reads the name big and clear so that the whole world can hear.

"Katniss Everdeen."


	4. 4

(4)

Of course I was expecting it, but just hearing my name, thinking of the consequences, I feel like the idea of me being the target has been completely unexplored in my thoughts. Like Prim being chosen as a tribute when she only had one slip of paper in thousands.

My father comes up behind me quietly. His feet shuffling on the carpet is the only sound I hear. For some reason, I am able to tune out the TV even though it is blasting. President Snow is making some announcements regarding procedure changes. It's nothing I really want to hear. But, he gets my attention by calling out, "And now, for this Games' tributes!"

A photo of Annie Cresta, the crazy red-haired woman from District 4, appears on the screen. I wonder how Finnick is reacting. Her height and weight are shown with a few of her other physical characteristics. Some new animations are added to make the introduction of the tributes exciting. Fire engulfs Annie's picture. I am the Girl on Fire and because of me, Annie will die.

Next on the screen is Cinna. Of course I was expecting him to be one of the tributes, but just like hearing my name called off that slip of paper, I feel unprepared to embrace the idea of Cinna in an arena, fighting to kill my friends. His face looks hollow and you'd never be able to tell he was from the Capitol if he wasn't my designer. I also notice his weight is incredibly low.

One by one, the faces of my friends appear on the screen in alphabetical order. Each one provokes a thought. With Darius, I wonder, have they ever had an Avox in the Games? Then Effie, how cruel is it to take someone so innocent regarding the whole rebellion and force her to kill or be killed? Enobaria, Flavius, Jamie Mellark (Peeta's closest brother in age) and Johanna Mason are all tributes too. I notice Gale relax a little bit. I wonder why but then, by seeing the next tribute, I understand.

Lisa Everdeen is on screen. My mother is going to die. Hazelle Hawthorne, however, is not. Along with my mother is Rue's oldest younger sister, whose name is Mayla. A tough boy from my school, Merrow, smirks in his picture. Morrison Mellark (Peeta's oldest brother) makes an impression on me. He is strong and handsome. If he can kill, he might stand a chance at staying alive. Bubble-headed Octavia doesn't understand what's going on. She poses for the camera.

Nothing can prepare me for what I'm about to see. Peeta Mellark comes on-screen. He, like his brother Morrison, looks strong and handsome. His mouth is slightly agape and his head is tilted a little to the left. His eyes are narrow. He doesn't look beaten or tortured at all. Just seeing him makes my stomach twirl. I can't help but think of our baby. Will they look like Peeta? I don't know if I want them to or not. Gale makes a small whimpering noise that is completely uncharacteristic, but I don't turn around.

I barely notice Portia has replaced Peeta's picture when Primrose Everdeen is next up. She looks so tough. Unlike anyone else, except maybe Merrow and Morrison, she looks like she is ready to fight. I feel confident in my sister and I know she won't die easily.

Regulus Undersee, District 12's mayor, is added to the list of twenty four tributes. Gale holds his breath, but Rory is also there. Samuel Mellark, Peeta's father, and Greasy Sae (whose real name is actually Sarah) are two people I didn't expect. Tolliver, a weak boy from my school, Venia, Vick, and Yula, Thresh's grandmother, finish the twenty four people that will surely die because of me.

President Snow closes by telling us to tune in tomorrow to learn more about the tributes and I turn off the TV. So there you have it: Annie, Cinna, Darius, Effie, Enobaria, Flavius, Jamie, Johanna, Lisa, Mayla, Merrow, Morrison, Octavia, Peeta, Portia, Prim, Regulus, Rory, Samuel, Sarah, Tolliver, Venia, Vick and Yula. They will all die for me. But I'm not the only one they'd be hurting with their deaths. If they die, Finnick, Haymitch, Peeta, Madge, Gale and all of District 12 would suffer as well.

Gale comes up behind me and, even though our fathers are there, wraps his arms around me, humming softly. I don't recognize the tune. My father suddenly becomes preoccupied with something important and Mr. Hawthorne follows him out of the house. Gale and I are alone for the first time in forever. He seizes the moment. Scooping me up off the ground, he carries me into my father's bedroom and lays me down on the bed. My heart starts beating very fast.

"You need to get some rest Katniss," he sits down next to me.

No, I think to myself. I need to go to the bathroom and throw up. I need to come up with some strategy to get my loved ones out of the arena in time. I need to…

"You're right Gale," I say, ignoring how miserable I feel.

He lies down next to me. "When you were in the arena, every day I prayed for you to stay alive and not get hurt. Of course you did get hurt, but you're still here. We can pray for our families. We can pray for Peeta. Everything will be alright Catnip," Gale combs through my hair and my eyes start to glaze over.

Everything will be alright. Maybe he's right. Maybe there is a way out of this. A way we can save everyone.

"Besides," he continues, "in the end, you know you'll still have…"

I throw my arms around him and kiss him. It's quite unexpected, but Gale only takes a second to adjust to my mood swings. At least everything that's going on will be a decent excuse for quick changes in emotion. I try to push all thoughts of my pregnancy away.

Gale and I become lost in another world. After awhile I say, "I'll always have you, right?"

Gale catches his breath, "Yes, of course."

I smile, "Good. At least that's one thing I can count on."

I fall asleep and Gale is still lying there next to me. I wonder if he'll keep my nightmares away.


	5. 5

(5)

I am running barefoot. With every step another thorn goes up my foot, leg or arm. Blood is gushing out of all the cuts and it leaves a trail on the ground. In the distance I see Peeta. He is facing away from me. Does he know I'm coming? I run faster and faster, so I can get to him. Finally, I am right behind him. Before I can touch his back, I fall to the ground, succumbing to the pain. I stretch my arm out so I can just barely touch his foot. It's as cold as ice.

Turning around, or rather, falling around, I see that a dagger has pierced through his stomach. He collapses next to me. Looking at his face, it is pale white and there is a stream of blood trickling out of his mouth. I yell in pain. I'm going into labor.

Gale shakes me out of my nightmare. "Katniss!? What's wrong?" He is screaming at me.

I catch my breath and clutch my stomach. The nightmare had seemed so real. I get up quickly, almost too fast. The blood rushes to my head. Gale reaches out for me, but I'm already headed to the bathroom. I don't even have time to close the door before I vomit. Gale comes in and pats my back as I empty my stomach. My lip is quivering and I'm shaking. Instinctively, Gale starts rubbing my belly. He has no idea what is really going on. I have to tell him. I'm about to when he helps me up and says, "Katniss, you'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?"

I nod. He must already know. Why else would he say something like that at a time like this? So, I figure now is not the time to admit what's happened to me. There is a knock on the front door. Gale tells me to go back to bed. I do as he says. Our fathers are back. I wonder how long I was asleep. I rest my head on my father's soft pillow. In a few minutes, Gale comes in with some buttered toast. I eat it slowly, unsure of how my stomach will react. I spend most of my time staring up at the ceiling. How many nights has my father done the same thing? The staring, I mean. After a while, I fall asleep. No nightmares this time.

The next day, my father is looking over me when I wake up. I've been spending a lot of time in bed lately. "How'd you sleep?" he asks.

"Pretty well," I lie. Anyone could tell from the messed up bed sheets that I was tossing and turning all night. Where did my father sleep?

It's almost as if he can read my mind, because he says, "I slept on the couch."

I manage to smile a little bit, "How did_ you_ sleep?"

He stretches out his back, "It was a little rough, but I managed."

"Where's Gale?" I ask leaning over to peer out of the bedroom door.

"Now, now, Katniss. You'll see him soon," he talks to me like I'm five.

"Ok," I mumble.

The day seems to pass very slowly. Finnick comes in during the afternoon. We talk a little about the Games. He purposely avoids any mention of Annie and I don't bring her up either.

Madge also comes in for a visit. She explains why Gale was being the way he was. Gale had apparently been confiding in Madge about his feelings for me. Even though I try with all my heart to believe that there was no affection between Gale and Madge, I find it hard to convince myself of it. Like that glance Madge shot Gale when he touched me. Was there a hint of jealousy? She also explains that District 13 should believe I'm completely in love with Peeta to give something more to fight for. Madge and Gale should appear to be a couple. I just keep nodding, hoping she'll finish talking and leave me to rest. After some time, she notices my fatigue and leaves me be.

When Haymitch visits me, he doesn't say much. Our discussions quickly die out.

"What time are the Tribute Profiles on?" I attempt to make conversation.

"Eight," he says.

"Oh, ok. are you going to watch with us?"

"We'll see."

Several minutes would pass before either of us made another attempt to talk. Finally, after I can't take the silence anymore, I inquire, "When should I tell them?"

There is no need to clarify what I mean. Haymitch sighs and takes his time to say something. "Do it when they are distracted," he eventually resolves.

"Ok," I reply while I think over what he's just said. Everyone is already distracted with a lot to think about. When will everyone be more distracted? When the Games start? I can imagine all of us, sitting around the TV, and the announcer yelling, "Let the 75th Annual Hunger Games begin!" Then I picture myself standing up in front of the television and saying, "Did I mention I'm having a baby?"

No. I don't think that's what Haymitch meant. He leaves me and I rest up for another hour. When I wake, I check the time. 7:48. Slowly, I make my way out of bed. Although I still feel miserable, my condition has slightly improved.

I walk out of the bedroom and into the living room. Finnick, Gale and Madge are seated comfortably on the couch. My father and Mr. Hawthorne are each in individual chairs. Haymitch is standing by the door. I wonder where Plutarch, Beetee, and Leanore are. And what about anyone else that was on the hovercraft?

For the first time, I notice I'm wearing different clothes. I wonder who changed me. Gale, seeing my confusion, calls out, "You're a heavy sleeper."

So it was Gale. I can't lie. This makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe what Peeta had said in the elevator about me being pure was true. The idea of Gale stripping me down and putting on other clothes while I sleep makes me a little squeamish. Is there something wrong with that?

I think I may have blushed when he said that. Finnick scoots over to make room for me next to Gale on the couch. I like how in my father's house no one has put on an act. So, I curl up next to Gale and throw my arms around him. The warmth of another person is a feeling I long for. Even if it is Gale and not Peeta.

I whisper into his ear, "Thanks for staying with me last night."

"No problem," he replies.

The television is turned on and we all become absorbed. The anthem plays and President Snow comes on screen.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen of Panem. Are you ready to learn some more about this Games' tributes?" Everyone in our living room just stares at the television, "Ok. Our first tribute, Annie Cresta, is an old friend of Katniss' from way back when."

Finnick takes deep breaths. I do too. Not because I'm angry, but because I'm starting to feel sick again.

President Snow reviews some footage of Annie and goes over her stats. I wonder why Caesar Flickerman isn't hosting. Then, President Snow says every tribute is given one minute to say something to all of Panem.

Annie is in a dark room with just a small light hanging over her head. A clock is running above her head. A countdown from one minute. She stares at the camera. After about ten seconds, she begins her speech, "Finnick, I miss you. I want you. I need you. Help me. Help Katniss." She pauses after each one and her minute goes by very slowly. It seems like she is struggling to say everything. "Finnick, I love you. Remember when we were young, how we…"

She is cut off. I look over at Finnick. His eyes are teary. The whole presentation for Annie only lasted about three minutes. The next thing I know, they are talking about Cinna. During his minute, he talks about me and what a great opportunity it was to work with me. He talks a little about Portia. Overall, he is just saying thanks. No good-byes. No regrets. Just, thanks for a shot at life. I wish I could approach life the same way he does.

I sit through every profile. All the footage. The last minute to say anything they wanted to. I start breaking down when we get to Peeta. They spend a little extra time on Peeta. They review an emotional scene from the 74th Games. Then to entertain the Capitol, they count out all of the kisses we've shared on screen. I lose track after our engagement.

Peeta doesn't waste any time during his last minute. "Katniss, even though I know you may never hear this, I have to tell you some things. Firstly, I've been in love with you ever since the day my father pointed you out to me at school. I don't even know if you knew me back then, but I sure did know you. You lit up my life and I never could stop thinking of you. When the Games came around, I was devastated. I knew I wouldn't be able to see you die, so I did everything I could to keep you alive. And I did," he laughs half-heartedly, "in a way. Secondly, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care where you, what you've done, I love you," he starts to break down. Cold tears start streaming down his face. I notice I'm crying too. Here I am with Gale. Peeta has always loved me. Gale hasn't. I know what he is saying is true. He isn't just putting it on for the cameras. Peeta is speaking directly to me.

"I love you Katniss Everdeen."

I stand up, nudging Gale aside. Going up to the screen, I touch his face and say the very words I've been holding back for well over a year. "I love you too, Peeta Mellark."

Everyone behind me is quiet. There are no cameras. They all know this. I truly and sincerely mean what I have just said. Peeta's face is gone from the screen and I go back to my seat. All their eyes are trained on me. My solemn face, my tears. I ignore them all and watch Peeta come up on the screen again. This time he is holding my hand in the chariot. They are showing Portia's work. I remember what was going on in my mind at the very moment. I wasn't thinking any loving thoughts. But circumstances have changed. I've changed and so has Peeta.

For the rest of the show, I just sit quietly and watch. No comments. No more tears. All of it is going on inside my head. When the show is finally over, President Snow says he has one final announcement. "This is going to be a very special Quarter Quell. Because of it, we need a lot of time to organize and perfect the Arena. After all, the Gamemakers usually have on year to make it work! So, unfortunately for everyone, the Games will be delayed for eight months."

Eight months! My head darts around with thoughts. Finnick stands up in shock, "Why could they possibly be delaying the Games for eight whole months?"

The anthem plays and it hits me all in one moment. I know why.

Haymitch says, "It will give us more time to plan."

Finnick retorts, "Then why on Earth would they do it?"

I speak up, "It's because I'm pregnant."

At first, everyone is silent. Mouths remain ajar, half-formed theories still on the tip of their tongues. Gale is the first to swallow them.

"Oh?" he gives me such a nasty look that I nearly fall over. I guess he didn't know about my pregnancy after all. "Is that so?"

He starts pacing back and forth very quickly. Flailing his arms, rubbing his temples, he says, "And I suppose Peeta is the father?" He curses, "I didn't think you'd fall for any of that sappy romance stuff. Jeez Katniss, up until about an hour ago, I thought... I thought…"

Haymitch speaks up, "She's about 6 weeks along. Gale, I swear she just found out the other day."

Gale glares at me. It is not a look of dislike. It is a look of hatred.

Mr. Hawthorne has carefully slipped into the bathroom. My father looks shocked, almost disappointed. Finnick is exchanging glances with Madge. The whole time, Gale keeps an intense stare at me.

I gasp for air. "Gale, it's not like that! It wasn't planned or wanted. Listen to me, Gale Hawthorne!" I start to break down. Maybe it's just my hormones, but my head is going rampant between Peeta and Gale. I run to Gale.

"Gale Hawthorne," I grab his face in my hands. He tries to push me away, but I hold onto him. "My relationship with Peeta is not superficial. You need to understand this! He does things for me that you can't do. He protects me. He comforts me. He loves me, Gale! He loves me more than anyone and anything and I… I feel the same way."

Gale looks hurt. His anger as passed.

I lean into his face very close, creating a special bubble for just the two of us. "When Peeta sleeps with me, I don't have nightmares."

"And how often do you sleep together?" His lips brush against mine ever so slightly.

I ignore his question, "His presence soothes me and I lose all my troubles. Gale, you just add to them."

"Sorry." That's when he kisses me, even with everyone watching this exchange between us. It seems to last forever and I go limp. He holds me up. When he is done he says, "Peeta won't be a very fitting father."

"I never wanted to have children. I never wanted to marry. Circumstances change things," I say as I catch my breath.

"Ha. Yeah, I know."

"But I have to save Peeta. We've got to rescue him even if I'll be a balloon by the time the Games start."

"I'm going to help you through this, Katniss."

"Through what?" I say. My fingers release his face and travel down his back.

"Through your… condition."

"I'm not sick. I'm just--"

"Don't say it!" Gale cuts me off.

"Just accept it. Don't be childish."

"I'm not being childish. I just don't want to talk about it."

"Gale, you aren't the father. You can't just assume you'll take Peeta's place," It's ridiculous how Gale is reacting to the news.

"I need to help you," he replies, "You can't go through this alone."

I don't say anything, but I think inside, _I don't want to go through this with you! I'd be more comfortable with Haymitch, or even Finnick. _Gale is definitely going to make things more complicated. But I nod and sigh.

I let go of him and look around at all the people in the room. Gale is right about one thing. I can't go through this alone. I need support. Madge comes up to me and gives me a hug. I thank her silently. She is the only female support I have.

Haymitch leads my father into the kitchen and they talk for awhile. It's getting late, so I climb into bed. I try to shut out my problems, crawl out of the hole I threw myself in to. What have I done?

When I wake up, no one is in the house. I empty the contents of my stomach in the bathroom and then warily proceed to make myself some breakfast. I feel miserable. After last night's confession, I wonder if I was too early. Did Haymitch want me to tell them so soon?

Another thing that was bothering was that if I'm correct, if the Capitol postponed the Games because of my pregnancy, then how did they find out it was true? Wouldn't they think that Peeta had made up everything he said? There's no way to know for sure, but for some reason, it bothers me that I don't know.

Around noon, my father finally comes back home. I'm just lying in bed again.

"Where'd you go?" I ask almost as soon as he comes in. He comes to the bed and sits down.

"We had a conference. Everyone thinks it's best if you don't come to the meetings. We've made a few decisions. Because you'll be physically unfit to come with us when we save all your friends, you shouldn't know what the plans are," he says with a slight edge to his voice. He sounds a bit angry.

I think this is completely unfair, but I don't really feel like arguing. "So, what am I going to do? Just stay in bed for seven and a half months? Sounds like loads of fun to me."

"Madge is going to take care of you. We all decided it was best to separate you and Gale."

"Why?" I ask out of general curiosity. I have to admit I'm half relieved and half annoyed.

"Things are going to be very hard on you emotionally Katniss. We can't have you suffering because you have conflicting feelings for Peeta and Gale."

I swear the man is in my head. "I've never talked to anyone about it," I say.

"You've been keeping it all inside. I think you should talk to somebody about it," he grabs my hand.

"Alright. Are you willing to hear about all the drama?"

"Of course."

For nearly an hour I explain my life with Gale and Peeta and how I feel for both of them. I undergo an emotional roller ride. One minute I've given my father all the reasons for why Gale and I should be together and then the next moment, I'm telling him about how much I love Peeta. I tell him everything. All my feelings, all my lovers' characteristics, exactly what went on between Peeta and me in the first Games. After I've poured out my heart, my father says I should get some rest.

I ask him a question, "If you were me, and you weren't so emotionally distraught, who would you pick?"

He kisses my forehead, "You know I'd want a real connection. But I'd also want the best for myself. I'd want to feel loved and cherished and remembered."

"So your answer is…"

"Suicide?" he says with a humorous expression.

"Not funny dad."

"Without a shadow of a doubt in my mind," he lowers his voice, "I would pick the boy with the bread."

And so, my undying love for Peeta begins.


	6. 6

(6)

When I wake up, the sun has set. I get out of bed. My father says I'm going to a presentation in front of District 13. He helps me into some clothes. As he is doing so he says, "Katniss, I think we should talk about this pregnancy."

I gulp. Almost too loudly. "Of course," I say in response.

"When your mother was pregnant with you, it was a difficult time for us. I had to work a lot at the mines and we couldn't spend much time together. But it's all different for you. You don't even know if Peeta is alive—"

"He is," I cut him off. "Peeta is alive."

"Ok," he says soothingly. "Katniss, what's going on in that little head of yours? You seem like such a different person."

"I am a different person. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm not that shaking tribute I was last year. I've seen death and I've been in love. I've been in pain and I've killed people. But that doesn't mean I'm not scared. I am frightened for my life, for Peeta's life and our child's." This little speech surprises me. Somehow my father has pulled something out of me. He got me to tell him exactly how I really feel.

He gives me a reassuring pat on the back as I tie my shoes. "It will all work out in the end."

We step out of the room and I touch my toes, stretching out my back. Together we leave the house and meet up with Haymitch and Finnick. My father and Haymitch take the lead and start walking very fast.

Finnick comes up to me. "Now listen, I'm breaking a pact to be nice to you. I was given strict orders not to tell you anything we discussed our meetings. But I have to warn you," he lowers his voice, "you're in for a shock tonight. It's just an illusion. We have to keep it going. Don't take it too seriously."

"What are you talking about?" I keep my voice quiet.

"You and Gale need to be separated. Can't have anyone getting suspicious," he says.

Now I'm annoyed, "There is nothing going on between Gale and me!" I cry out a little too loudly. Haymitch turns his head around to look at me. He gives me a look that makes me shut up.

"Oh I'm sure, 'Catnip,' that nothing is going on with you and Gale. Especially with that kiss. Oh, he wants to help you. So sweet! Ugh, whole bunch of…" Finnick stops talking as Haymitch gives him the same glance he gave me.

We spend the rest of the time walking side by side, remaining very quiet. In the meantime, I get a good look at District 13. The buildings look firmly built. The homes are squashed together in rows and are all very uniform. Besides the town hall, there looks to be a trading market and a very large square. There is hardly any greenery. The lack of woods is so unfamiliar for me. Growing up in District 12, I guess I just got used to seeing tons of trees all the time.

We meet up with Gale and Madge and they are up to their usual tricks. All the fake affection makes me sick, but then it reminds me of Peeta and me. And look how I feel about him now. Gale and Madge are holding hands, hugging, rubbing noses. I distinctly observe there is no kissing. This actually makes me feel better. Somewhere deep down inside of me I still feel a longing for Gale that will not go away. No matter how much I ignore it, I will still want him. I also notice it has no connection with how much I love Peeta. But I must stop thinking of him. There is no future between Gale and me. We were never meant for each other. We could never be together. Ever. Just as I realize this, Madge stands on her tippy toes and kisses Gale full on the mouth. They both blush. I feel jealousy arouse inside me. So much for no thinking about him. Now I can't imagine myself stopping.

My father stops walking with Haymitch and turns around. He must notice my expression. Yes, my teeth are clenched and my face is the color of a ripe tomato. He wishes me luck and disappears into the crowd I just realized has formed in the square. I'm overwhelmed. How could there be so many people here? Where did they all come from? I start to feel faint. I was already feeling really tired, but as I get a good look at the mass of people, I start to feel like I'm going to pass out.

A path is made for us and the whole mob gets silent. You can hear our footsteps. The five of us march into the middle of the square. Haymitch addresses the crowd. He talks for a while about my accomplishments, my love for Peeta and everyone's will to stay alive, to keep fighting, to rebel. After his speech, he accepts questions from our captivated audience. A girl steps forward and says her name is Meliss. She looks about the same age as my sister and has black hair and olive skin. Just like Leanore, I don't remember her from the Seam. She speaks loudly for her size, "How are you going to save Peeta?"

Of course they want to know the plan. So do I. I take this as my chance to find out, so I pretend to look uninterested as Haymitch begins to answer her question, "We plan to shut down the Games."

The square erupts in chatter. Everyone has something to say. I think it's a very vague answer, but I'm satisfied. Shut down the Games. Now I must know exactly what they are planning to do, but Meliss is on top of it. As soon as it has settled down, she asks my question, "How are you going to do that?"

Haymitch clears his throat like an important person and responds, "I'm sorry dear. That's confidential."

A few more people ask questions. None of them really interest me. But then a man with brown hair and dark yellow eyes asks a question specifically for me. "What do you think will Peeta's reaction be when he sees you?"

It is more of a social inquiry, not for information or knowledge. I open my mouth to answer but Haymitch cuts me off. "Katniss will not be accompanying us on the journey…"

Everyone starts yelling and calling out. The common question is "Why not?" All I want to know is if Haymitch will answer them truthfully. I wait until they quiet down.

"Katniss isn't coming because of health issues," he resolves.

Health issues? Why do I feel like I have an illness? Apparently the mob doesn't want to hear that.

It quiets down and the man with the yellow eyes says, "What kind of health issues?"  
This time it is Gale who speaks, "Don't you all remember what Peeta said during the interview? She's having a baby, so cut her a break!"

I don't think Gale was supposed to say that. Haymitch looks very upset. The crowd looks half surprised and half confused. The yellow-eyed man recovers quickly though. He says, "Oh, I thought he was just saying that to divert the Capitol's attention."

I shake my head slightly. That is enough. Everyone is excited now. I hear cheers and hurrahs wishing luck to the new baby.

Haymitch shushes everyone. It takes a minute before everyone is silent.

My eyes can hardly believe what I see next. I just feel it's so random, so completely unnecessary, so out of the blue and wrong and… Gale gets on his knee in front of Madge and grabs her hand. He asks her to be his bride. I am suffering beyond belief. Confused. Finnick's words come back to me, _You're in for a shock tonight. It's just an illusion. We have to keep it going. Don't take it too seriously. _How could I not take this seriously?

Madge accepts with passion and Gale picks her up and twirls her around, but what makes me throw up is how insanely loud the crowd cheers.

The world is swirling around and I feel very lightheaded. I register that Finnick is helping me stand. The cheers have ceased. I'm thankful it's dark out, for if it hadn't been, everyone would be able to see the look of distress on my face. My weakness would have been identified. But Finnick whispers something to me in my ear and his cold breath shakes me back into reality.

Haymitch comes up with a very believable excuse as to why I've barfed, but I don't hear every word. Before I know what's happening, we are walking away, back to my father's house, Finnick at my side the whole time. Gale and Madge head off in another direction. I don't even get to talk to him. How will I survive without his companionship? My father rejoins us. Within minutes we are back at his house. Finnick takes me into the bedroom and helps me into bed. I mumble something about going to the bathroom first. He says, "Katniss, wait…"

I turn around a little surprised that Finnick has something else to say.

"Can't you just get rid of it? We need you," he says with a pained expression.

"Get rid of what?" I realize what he means right after I ask.

"The baby…" his voice trails off.

No. This baby is Peeta. I am not losing Peeta at any cost. Haymitch knows this and so do Gale and Plutarch. Of course it would be Finnick to suggest something like this. "Imagine Annie was pregnant and you were in the hands of the Capitol. Do you think she would kill your child?"

Finnick opens his mouth slightly and looks away from me. His eyes travel around on the floor. "Yes. Yes I believe she would."

"But she doesn't even know if you're alive! She'd want to have the child because it would remind her of –"

"No, Katniss. She's killed our child before," he says. He sounds wounded.

"What are you talking about?"

"It was several years ago. I don't want to talk about it."

I must say that I'm a little surprised. "But that wasn't because she didn't want the baby! It was probably to avoid any attention."

"Katniss, we're not talking about this."

"Ok. Then please leave!" I yell at him a little too harshly.

He doesn't meet my eyes, just walks out and closes the door behind him without much force. Now, I realize Finnick may understand my situation better than anyone else and yet at the same time, he doesn't. He cannot possibly know what this is like. Just get rid of it? He treats my child like it's a piece of trash.

As I get into bed I vow to keep this baby alive at all costs, no matter what anyone else says about it.

The next ten weeks pass with little occurring. I am not included in any of the meetings. Gale cannot talk to me. Finnick does not talk to me. I cannot talk to Madge and I do not talk to Haymitch. My father tells me that Beetee has recovered remarkably, but I don't see him either.

A small bump begins to show on my stomach. I spend a lot of time during the day just rubbing it, singing some songs.

The people of District 13 throw a bridal shower for Madge. I don't go. My father tells me that they want to throw a baby shower for me, but I tell him to make sure they don't. I go back onto the hovercraft for an ultrasound. It's really embarrassing, but I get a look for the first time at the little person growing inside me. Just seeing that small living creature on the screen changes the world for me. The doctors can't tell the gender yet, but I tell them I'd rather not know anyway.

I feel lousy, sick, and tired all the time and it begins to get annoying. I get the feeling that I'm missing out on everything. My father tells me occasionally when Haymitch comes up with a great idea for their plan, but I still feel out of the loop. And I thought I was the one leading the rebellion!

It seems like everyone in District 13 wants to see me. My father usually shoos away people when they come to visit, but on one particular occasion he let someone come in.

Leanore had brought me some cookies. Sugar, yes, sugar is good. I eat them very quickly as she talks. She complains about her hair and comments on how wonderful I look. I'm just eating away the cookies, not really processing anything she's saying.

After I finish her snack, she asks if she can touch my stomach. It's very weird, but as soon as she says that, I feel a little kick. "Leanore, come feel this!"

I grab her hand and move it to where I felt the movement. Another kick, not as hard as the first. "Aww… Katniss, she's going to be an athlete."

When she says this I think about how I never wanted to have children. I just assumed they would all die in the Games, that they would all be tributes. That had been my only thought and it still was up until this point. Somehow I knew deep down inside that this baby was going to die. I wasn't sure how, when or why, but it was going to face the wrath of the Capitol in some way and would eventually be out of my life, just as fast as it came into it. But this suggestion, a suggestion that my child may have a different life ahead of them, not just a looming death, gives me hope.

"You think it's a girl?" I ask her.

"Mm-hmm!" Leanore says with enthusiasm, nodding her head wildly. "What are you going to name her?"

To be honest I haven't really thought about it at all. It seems strange now that I haven't. "What do you think I should name her?"

Leanore gets all excited and starts calling out names, "I think that since she's going to be a beautiful baby, so you should name her Mellibelle."

I almost shudder at that name. I would never name my child something like Mellibelle. It sounds like something someone from the Capitol would name their child.

"Any other ideas?"

"Umm… how about…"

Before Leanore can suggest another name, there is a knock on the door. She resumes her military state of serving and abruptly gets up to open the door. It's Gale.

I haven't seen him since the night of his engagement. He looks completely different, more handsome, stronger and certainly older. My jaw drops. He walks in and Leanore takes the tray she brought the cookies in, out of the room.

He sits down on the bed. "You look different," he says after a minute of staring at me.

"Thanks. Five pounds fatter," I say like it's an accomplishment.

"No, you're beautiful. Absolutely glowing," he says, stifling a laugh. "You'll make a fine mother, Katniss," he looks me right in the eyes.

I exhale, "Probably not."

We just look at each other for several minutes before I say, "How's Madge?"

"Brilliant. She's been swept off her feet, tasted cakes and tried on a few hand-me-down gowns. I think she is loving life despite the fact her mother's dead and her father is being tortured," he speaks in a different tone. It is steady and confident. My own is the opposite. It is shaky and insecure.

"Her mother's dead?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"That's confidential, Katniss."

It is quiet again.

"I can't spend time with you Catnip." Gale takes my hand, "I wasn't supposed to see you today. Or really at all for the next few months. But, I missed you. Had to come."

"Oh well thanks," I pull my hand away from his grasp. "You got to see the freak show. Now please disperse."

"You know it's an act, so why are you jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" I cry out too loudly, too fast.

"You are."

"No! I'm not. You mean absolutely nothing to me Gale! Just, absolutely no… " tears start coming down. Gale sees my pain and comes closer to me.

"This is all going to be over one day," he wraps his arms around me. "You'll see. Things are going to change."

Then, he releases me and gets up. Without a goodbye, he closes the door and leaves me. I'm still wrapped in his warmth and the smell of him.


	7. 7

(7)

Madge comes to see me the next day. She is drop-dead gorgeous. I've never seen her like this before. Her hair looks like it's been dyed a darker rich color. It is no longer blonde, but looks just as fitting to her. She is also wearing some light make-up. It's almost as if there is a whole different person in front of me. The old Madge Undersee is long gone and there seems to be nothing left of her.

She starts jabbering about her wedding and how District 13 is reacting. Apparently, they love Gale and Madge almost as much as they loved Peeta and me.

"We're still madly in love despite the fact that our futures are doomed. Isn't that romantic?" her voice is light and airy as she speaks. I picture her as if she's floating on a cloud. She seems to be excited about what's going on, but I can see through her mask, because I've had to cover my feelings multiple times before. When I look right into her eyes I can see her suffering, the pain of losing her mother (in what way I don't know) and the horror of her situation.

"Very," I act uninterested and examine my nails.

"You look beautiful Katniss," she tries to compliment me. Sure, throw compliments at the pregnant woman. Maybe she won't be so grouchy. I despise it, but I notice that she does mean what she says. I can tell this, once again, by her eyes.

"Thanks," I mumble under my breath.

She stops talking for a bit and stares at me. After she's done with her examination, she gets up to leave. She turns the door handle, but then pauses to look back at me.

"You are going to come to the wedding?" she asks. It's more of a statement than a question.

I want to be bitter, but no matter how much I try to hate Madge, I can't do it. She's such a sweet person and she doesn't seem to bother me much about Gale and Peeta. "Of course," I say with as much enthusiasm as possible.

She notices my effort and smiles brightly. "Alright, well I best be off! Let me know if you need _anything._ Toodles!"

She waves at me and closes the door behind her. My head collapses on the pillow just as she is leaving the room.

What am I going to do now? I decided to stare up at the ceiling. It is such a blank canvas. I want to draw all over it, to remind me of Peeta. That's when I get an idea.

It takes me several minutes, but I manage to get up out of bed and find my father. I ask him for some writing utensils and he helps get me organized. Then, I start to draw on the walls. They are a dull white color and I figure when I have this baby I'd want to be surrounded by something that is significant. So I draw trees. Lots and lots of trees. Climbing trees, fruit trees, tress topped with snow and trees covered in different colors. My drawings are not that good, but it only takes one look at them to imagine a real tree, the kind I thought of while drawing my murals. Then, in neat cursive, I write names on the wall. I write Peeta and Prim and Rue, big and large, meaningful, important. I spend the whole afternoon working on making the walls speak to me and by the end of the day, they do.

As I fall asleep, I have a dream. Not a nightmare, a dream. It seems the drawings have put me at peace. I am very pregnant and Peeta is painting what looks to be an empty room. He is drawing murals, just like I'd done today. I walk up to him and wrap my arms around him. He stops his work and holds me for a while. The mural he is drawing is us. We are in our beautiful costumes from the first day of the first Hunger Games. Holding hands, blowing kisses, waving. That day comes back to me in a flash. He has portrayed our faces so perfectly. He hasn't changed mine at all. You can see that somewhere deep inside I still don't trust Peeta Mellark.

All of a sudden, I feel a pull on my dress. I look down and see a little child standing there. This is the part where my memory gets sketchy. I don't remember what the toddler looked like, just that it was there and it looked to be around two years old. Peeta lets go of me and resumes his work on the mural.

That's when I wake up.

Leanore is sitting by my bed and I nearly scream. Her figure looks eerie in the middle of the night. She scrams up the bed and quickly covers my mouth. Putting a finger to her mouth, she tells me to be quiet. I nod and she crawls under the covers. I don't respond at first, but then she tugs on my hand and I pull the covers over my head.

"I've been eavesdropping," she says very quietly. I need to lean in to hear her.

"Eavesdropping? On who?" I can be very silent. From all those years of hunting with Gale, quiet communication has become something I am strong at.

"The meetings. I've been hearing the meetings," she looks happy with herself, anxious to see my reaction.

I am probably stunned. Is she going to tell me what's going on?

"You have?"

She nods and says, "I know their plans."

"Plans? What plans do they have?"  
"I heard about what they are going to do."

"Fill me in," I prop my head up with my hand.

"Plutarch has gotten a special connection with someone from inside the Capitol. He's teamed up with a Gamemaker who can help control the Games. Security will be down on Annie and Vessy is going to be her Avox."

"Vessy?"  
"They said you know her. I think she's got red hair."

So that's what her name is. Vessy.

"Anyway, they've told Vessy to inform Annie on everything they are planning to do to shut down the Games."

"Why Annie?" I wonder aloud.

"Because she will be the least expected to be spreading information. The Capitol thinks she is mad. Really, she's brilliant. At least, that's what Finnick's been telling everyone."

"Ok," I nod. That does make sense. No one would suspect a woman who appears mentally unstable to be the source of information. "Continue," I urge her.

"Annie will tell the important people. We'll leave out your prep team, Enobaria and those boys from your school. No offense, but your prep team would either blow the whole thing or be too thick-headed to understand. Enobaria and the boys can't be trusted. I think they mentioned not telling Gale's brothers too. Still too young. They'll probably follow Peeta around," she explains.

"What about Rue's sister…" my head searches for a name until I find one, "Mayla?"

"I didn't hear them mention her," she responds with a solemn face.

"Oh. Go ahead, continue..."

"The plan is as follows: on the fourth day of the Hunger Games, Beetee and Plutarch will take over the Gamemakers with the help of some other friends. Beetee will fix some wires to take down the electric field surrounding the arena and Plutarch will shut down all the weapons. Your father will be in charge of rescuing your family and Haymitch will take care of Peeta's brothers and Effie. Gale will mind his own family, and Madge's father, while Finnick will save whoever is left. Then…"

There is the soft movement of feet on the carpet. My father is coming. Leanore jumps out of bed and slips under it with expert agility. I admire how fast she is. I resume a sleeping position but I'm sitting on my stomach wrong and it hurts like you wouldn't believe. He opens the door a crack and sees my figure.

It takes all my strength not to fall over. My position is so uncomfortable, but I bear it for Leanore's sake. I can't have him coming in here. He decides all is well and heads back into his room.

Leanore waits a couple minutes and then crawls out from under the bed. She says she'll tell me the rest as soon as she can. I nod and she leaves.

Every day I wait for Leanore to come back. She never does. I haven't left the house in over two months. I'm too afraid to bring her up to my father. Anything I say could be suspicious because I don't talk much anymore. So, I just wait. It's painful too, because I believe that there is still so much I don't know. But I try to remain happy with what I've heard about so far.

Plutarch and Beetee are going to shut down the Games. But what does that mean? And how will they do it? I think about this a lot. Leanore said that Haymitch, Gale, Finnick, and my father will be rescuing people from the arena. Does that mean they are going into the Games? I try not to think about this. The horrors of what could happen start to build up inside of me.

Tonight is Gale and Madge's wedding rehearsal day. I think it's stupid how formal everyone is being about the whole event. But I guess if you live on the outskirts of your country and the rest of the world doesn't know you exist, there is little to get excited about.

I try not to think about what's happening. If I do, it only makes things worse. My situation couldn't possibly be any more complicated than it is.

It's noon and for the first time, I think about my appearance. Obviously, this had been at the back of my mind and I had dismissed it every time it came to my thoughts during the past months. I've been lounging around the house wearing my father's old extra large shirts. But today I'm not going to be lying about and I can't just show up with to a wedding with a t-shirt on.

I rack my brains to remember some things that Cinna has taught me. Asking my father for some supplies, I get started on making my own clothes at around one in the afternoon. He manages to get some needles and thread from a neighbor and I start my work. I decide to make a dress out of bed sheets. Sure, it will be ugly and cheap looking, but where else am I supposed to get maternity clothes? I certainly am not squeezing into anything that doesn't fit me.

I don't know how I do it, but at four, right before I'm supposed to leave for the rehearsal, I finish a slightly acceptable small dress. It is white and looks like I just rolled out of bed and kept the sheet around me, but at least I'm not naked and covered in black soot.

My father braids my hair as we're getting ready to walk out the door. He's not very good at braiding, but as he is weaving my hair in and out of itself, I ask him the burning question I've had since forever ago that I'd completely forgotten about up until this very moment.

It hits me quickly and I feel strange for not remembering it sooner. I open my mouth to speak, "Why is there a District 13? How did it come to be? Where are the weapons?" All my questions rush out so fast they are intelligible and when I repeat them, I can't say my words slowly enough. But somehow, he finds a way to understand, yet again.

"District 13 is underground, Katniss. What you see above the surface is just what would look to be a happy little town with happy little people who have nothing to do in life but think about Gale and Madge's wedding. All the work is happening underground. The rebellion, the scheming, all of it, is not in plain sight. I'm not supposed to talk to you about this," his voice trails off.

"Don't you think I should now?" I give him this look I used to give Peeta when I wanted him to do something for me. It didn't usually take much for me to convince Peeta to do anything for me though.

My father shakes his head and I can feel my ears turn red. I'm upset with him again. It seems like I shouldn't be upset with him, that he is just trying to protect me, but this sort of this annoys me. How many times have I proven I can take care of myself? I don't need him to keep things from me.

We leave the house without another word and a crowd swarms around me in minutes. Everyone wants to see me because I've been in my father's house for nearly three months. There are many questions, too many. I can't understand what anyone is saying. My father tells everyone to back away and to keep their distance because I need air.

Eventually I make it to another house that is very similar to my father's. It is a little larger, but the place is packed. I can tell by the noise and how close everyone is standing.

"I can't go in there," I say pointing into the house. Peering in through the door, I can see people pushed against one another. Almost everyone has a drink. I hear a glass shatter in the distance and a bunch of shrieks follow it.

My father nods and disappears inside the house, leaving me outside in the cold. Without him here, there is no one to protect me. A mob of people surround me again. I remind them that I need space to breath and most of them finally leave me alone. There is a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to see Finnick.

"Finnick!" I cry out. I haven't seen Finnick in the longest time. I've never found him to be attractive, despite how every other girl in Panem feels, but tonight he is as handsome and young as I've ever seen him. He's dressed up for the wedding in what looks to be expensive clothes. I can't help but notice what they see in him now.

He gives me a light hug, taking special care to not hurt me, "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you."

"I'm sorry I upset you," I say in return. All of a sudden, I realize I'm still in debt to Finnick Odair. The things he's done for me, saving Peeta, being in on the plan. He's one of the reasons I'm still alive.

"We'll call it even," he whispers, letting me go of his embrace.

_Not even close, _I think to myself.

"Mind being my date for the evening? I know how you must," he stops and looks around for people who may be listening in on our conversation. Finding no one he continues, "I know how you must be upset about this whole Gale/Madge thing."

"I am. I think it's completely ridiculous," I complain as I nod in approval. It will be nice to spend some time with Finnick.

"I completely agree. I don't really get the point anyway. How many people do you think we're fooling?"

I shrug and we both sigh.

He interlocks arms with me and says, "Alright, shall we venture in?"

I make a sound of an injured animal.

"Guess not… Well, then you wait right out here. I'm going to get something to drink," just like that, he leaves and I'm alone again, left to concentrate on my problems by myself.

I hear a noise from around the corner of the building. Following it, I spot Leanore in a crouched position. I get down next to her.

"Leanore!"

She shushes me and I lower my voice, "Where have you been?"

"Your father wouldn't let me in to see you. I don't know why," she murmurs.

It's a trust issue. You'd figure a thirteen year old girl wouldn't be eavesdropping on a conversation to fill in the very person they were trying to keep the information from. But Haymitch must have reminded him to trust no one. And so, even little Leanore could not see me again.

"Ok, fill me in," I say with urgency.

She shakes her head. "It's too dangerous."

"What? I've got to know. Leanore, please tell me," I reply a little too loudly. Heads turn and I'm ushered over by a new group of people. Leanore gives me a pitiful look and her eyes say it all. She's sorry. I don't need any confirmation to know this for sure.

After several minutes of torture, Finnick returns and takes me away from the questioning crowd. He's got a glass of hard liquor and a bottle of water. I'm a little puzzled. I've never seen Finnick drink before. It just seems odd to me because I just can't picture him drinking. He places a firm hand on my shoulder and hands me the bottle of water. I uncap it and drink it down thirstily.

Before I know it, I'm face to face with Haymitch who has already lost his sobriety. Pity it's still so early in the night. His speech is slurred and he has the famous drunken look about him, "Wonderful party, ain't it darling?"

"Good to see you again too," I mumble under my breath. Neither he nor Finnick hears me. Truth is that I was actually looking forward to seeing Haymitch again. I wanted to see how he was doing. I was hoping for him not to be drunk, but I rarely get what I hope for.

Finnick tells me that the procession is going to start in the town square in about a half hour. I can see from where I'm standing all the chairs lined up. No way can all of District 13 get a seat.

Haymitch grabs my arm and says, "You look absolutely ravishing sweetheart. Who did your clothes? Classic." He starts rubbing his hand back and forth, up and down on my arm, as if he is trying to warm it up. "How's the little tyke?"

I swallow hard and remove his hand, "Just fine." Pulling on Finnick's arm, I try to get away from Haymitch, but before we leave, Haymitch raises his hand and points to the house. He stammers something about getting another drink and wobbles back into the house. I wonder whose house it is. I feel bad for the owner. Cleaning up Haymitch's throw-up will not be a fun experience.

Finnick makes some uninteresting conversation about colors. I'm surprised how fast the alcohol has gone to his head.

After some time, everyone makes their way to the square. Finnick rejoins Haymitch and they click glasses. I keep walking by myself.

I sit down and smooth out my dress, feeling very foolish. That's when I see him.

If I said Finnick was handsome, he would look like a person who'd been living off bugs in the forest for 10 years compared to Gale. He is like no other person I've seen before. There he stands, hands folded across his body, waiting for the rest of the guests to sit down.

I can't help the urge but to run up to him and throw my arms around him. He smells so good, of a scent I've never smelled before. I hold him tightly, but he pushes me back. I'm wounded somewhere deep inside. "No, Katniss, congratulate me later," he whispers.

Finnick comes up behind me and takes me back to my seat. I suffer in silence as I watch Gale and Madge practice their union which will be official the very next day. I'm devastated because it feels as if it is the real thing. I cannot help but question what suffering I am in for tomorrow.


	8. 8

(8)

When I wake, my head feels like it's on fire. I feel the urge to throw up, but hold it back long enough to get my bearings. I don't know where I am, but I know I'm not in my father's bedroom. The walls are completely white. Looking around the room, I spot Finnick, passed out in a chair, still in his expensive clothes. Something smells, and as soon as I get up, I can see that vomit has stained the carpet.

I notice as soon as my feet touch the ground that I'm barefoot. I look around the room for my shoes and find them separated; one by Finnick's chair and the other, by the door. My dress is torn at the back. It's not a large tear, but will take some time to repair. I scratch my head and yawn. The clock reads 10:00. 10:00?! The pre-wedding ceremonies start at noon! Careful not to step in the vomit, I run out of the room.

As soon as I've opened the door, I realize this house is not set up the same way as my father's. I spend a few minutes searching around until I've identified the bathroom. I go to turn the handle and it is locked. I put my ear to the door and hear that the shower is running.

I don't want to wake up Finnick, so I wait until the person showering has finished. I give myself a tour of the house and come to the conclusion that this is where Haymitch and Finnick have been staying. I find the second bedroom and confirm that Haymitch is the second resident. Don't ask me where he got it, but there are bottles of liquor everywhere. There are in the trash bin, the drawers, on top of the dresser, and hauntingly, every single one of them is empty. Clothes are strewn all over the floor and the bed sheets are so messed up that it looks like a herd of elephants had stampeded them.

I'm about to leave when I see the papers, sitting on the dresser in a heap. I walk up to the notes and begin to peruse. I'm correct. They are the plans. The only problem is that they are almost completely indecipherable due to Haymitch's messy penmanship. I catch a few words here and there, listening carefully for the hum of the shower. Then I find a folder. Opening the folder, tons of little notes spill out and fall all over the ground.

I go to pick them and notice they all say the same thing. I squint and bring the paper up to my eyes to make sure I'm reading it correctly. And I am. Written on every single tiny piece of paper, in a sloppy scrawl is: I killed her. I killed Maysilee Donner. It was me. It was ME!

I can hear my heart pounding in my chest. This time, I've gone too far. This note was not for me to see, not for anyone to see. I'm still crouched down, completely stunned from what I've just read, when Haymitch walks in, a towel wrapped around his body just below his torso.

He stares at me, just as shocked as I am. However, he is first to break out of the shocked state. Coming up to me, he squats down and takes the paper from my grasp forcefully, leaving a good sized paper cut on my hand. He curses wildly, angrily pacing back and forth.

"You!" He yells at me and looks me right in the eye with a look of fury. I have never seen him like this before. Anytime he's been angry before does not even come close to how he's acting at the present. I still remain frozen in my position, just looking at him.

He scrambles around the room, throwing the empty bottles against the wall, searching for another. Glass shatters everywhere. Bottle after bottle is knocked off the dresser. He takes a bottle that hasn't shattered off from the ground and throws it against the mirror. I'm forced to move at this point, before the glass from the mirror cuts me. He opens each drawer and throws all the contents out onto the floor. He looks under the bed, in the closet and finally, finding no alcohol, turns to face me.

I'm frightened. He doesn't say anything. Instead he opens his eyes very wide and stares at me. His breathing is very heavy and sounds labored. He tries to take deep breaths in, but fails. Slowly, I back into the corner and he follows me with his eyes.

I have to make a run for it. That is all I'm thinking about. I believe I'm in serious danger. It feels like I'm back in the Games. Haymitch is a tribute and he is going to pick up a large shard of glass and stab me, leaving me to bleed to death. Several painful moments pass. My eyes dart around, trying to avoid his gaze, but every time I look back, he is still staring at me.

"So now," he says with an evil smile on his face, "you know my secret."

"It's impossible!"

"Don't argue with me!" He takes a step forward and I'm petrified.

The world is spinning around me but my mind is in focus. It is impossible that he killed her. She was skewered through the neck by pink birds. Peeta and I saw it on the tape. He held her hand when she died. I'm too afraid of him to contradict right now.

He takes another step closer to me and puts his face right up to mine. "I killed her. I killed Maysilee Donner. It was me. I killed her. It was me…" he says, "Me, Katniss, me! I killed her!"

I shut my eyes and try to tune him out. The pain in his voice is unbearable.

But then Finnick comes in and rescues me. He pulls me away from Haymitch and I remember the slam of the door, some cursing and then, blackness.

My father is fixing my dress. That is the first thing I am aware of. I am lying on my back, in my father's bedroom, and he is stitching it up with a thread and needle. My hair is up, not in its typical braid.

I groan and he says, "Oh, good. You're awake."

I'm not awake. I'm in a state between unconscious and reality. I'm so shaken by what has just happened to me that I cry. Sniffling, tears roll down my cheek. My father finishes his stitching and rubs my back.

"What's happened?" It takes so much strength for me to ask this question.

"I was feeling sick last night at the rehearsal dinner and went home early. Finnick told me he'd get you back to the house by nightfall. However, Finnick got drunk, and he took you back to his house. When I came to get you, he apologized. I'm not convinced," he helps me sit up, to avoid putting pressure on my stomach. "What state where you in when you woke up?"

I moan and rub my belly thoughtfully, "My dress was ripped."

"Yes, I noticed," he said, urging me on.

"Finnick was in a chair, completely knocked out. I think he may have thrown up in the bedroom a couple times, because there was vomit all over the floor," I suddenly feel sick.

"Ok," he sighs.

I eat breakfast in a rush, not really processing anything that is happening to me. I feel like my brain has gone on auto pilot. We go to the ceremony in the town square. I avoid Haymitch and Finnick. Dealing with them would upset me even more. Before I know it, the wedding has begun.

Madge looks very lovely as she walks down the aisle in her beautiful, white wedding dress. The dress is strapless, has delicate beading on the bodice and a small train. Her hair is curled in ringlets and they fall down her head in such a way that it reminds me of a fountain. Her make-up is simple. She makes a perfect bride.

But I'm not looking at the bride. I'm looking at the groom. No words can describe Gale.

I sit through the whole procession for a second time and when the minister gets to the "speak now or forever hold your peace" part, I am tempted to rise out of my chair and call out, "No! Gale loves me!"

But I don't. I remind myself that it is all hormones. Gale and I have never had a romantic relationship and it should stay that way. And so it will.

Haymitch is drunk again. As soon as the wedding is over, he dances around the square, running into people and causing quite a commotion. I try to ignore him, but find it an extremely difficult task. I know for a fact that Haymitch did not kill Maysilee, so why would he think he did? Was this why he took to drinking? Because he secretly believed that Maysilee's death was his own fault? I now consider it an option. The Games can twist your mind. I should know.

Gale and Madge stand at the end of the aisle and the people of District 13 begin to form a line to congratulate them.

"Family first!" A man calls out and I am slapped on the back. Hard. I turn around to say something but he speaks first. "Aren't you Young Gale's cousin… what is it, what is it, Casey?"

Oh great. Another drunkard.

I nod and walk away from him, weaving through the crowd of people. It takes some time, but I make it to the front of the line, much too close to Haymitch again. Gale's father take is taking his time. He seems to be making some kind of speech the newly wedded couple. I tune the world out.

When it is my turn, I step forward and Madge opens her arms out to me. We embrace, but my eyes never leave Gale. They look him up and down several times, eventually making their way back to his face. We lock eyes with each other. I admire how strong and masculine he looks. Sometimes I question how he maintains such a demeanor with everything that is going on. I mean, look at me. I'm an emotional train wreck.

Madge pulls me very close and whispers something inaudible to everyone but me, "I'm sorry." She is just doing her part in the act and I can't even pretend to be mad with her. In fact, I seem to feel for her even more now. This couldn't be farther from Madge's plan in life. She isn't marrying Gale to harm me. She is marrying him to do her duty and I know how she must be feeling.

I let go of her, taking special care not to mess up her hair or her dress. I walk over to Gale and give him a hug. I receive nothing in return. He does not show that he even realizes I'm here, that I'm holding him. Gale is a cold, unfeeling body. Would a cousin of the groom congratulate him with a kiss? I guess not. Anything suspicious between us would almost confirm the wedding to be an act. So we remain distant, hollow human beings and I release him without a word.

I start to step backwards, still looking at him because I simply cannot take my eyes off of Gale Hawthorne. I bump into an eccentric woman who goes babbling on about the reception party, hardly noticing as I brush against her.

Madge turns to greet the next person, but Gale is still looking at me. I bite my lip as we stare into each other's eyes, too far away to understand exactly what the other is trying to say. My lip starts bleeding and warm blood fills my mouth. That's when Finnick pulls on my arm and the moment is over.

He takes me to the town hall where the reception is being held. We are among the first to arrive. I take a pen and sign the guestbook. I begin to write my first name when I remember something. Just to annoy Gale, I sign: _Katniss Mellark_

I don't want to be with Finnick again. Chances are he'll start drinking again, and then who knows what will happen after that? He tries to drag me to sit down with him, but I pull away and stand by the door. My father joins me shortly. I tell him I don't want to be near Haymitch. He nods and promises me that we won't be near him.

A very large, open space has been cleared for the wedding. There are plenty of tables and chairs for everyone. In the center of the room is a stage. There are also two bars, on separate sides of the grand hall.

We take a seat at a table with a few of my father's neighbors. I recognize the man with the yellow eyes who had asked the question about Peeta in the square all that time ago. Next to him is a harsh looking woman with penciled eyebrows. She stares at me intently as my father and I sit down, pursing her lips and sticking her nose up ever so slightly. I do my best to ignore her.

"Ah, Mason. What a pleasure!" the yellow-eyed man says to my father with a big grin. I can see Penciled Brows squeeze the man's arm, as if to warn him. Is she naturally this standoffish?

My father nods politely, but does not reply.

The yellow-eyed man tries to start a conversation, "How are things going Katniss? Has the pregnancy been going well?"

"Just fine," I lie. Truth is: it's been awful. I can't count the number of times I've thrown up anymore. In the middle of the night, the morning, after lunch and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever get some peace. I suppose most of it is due to all the stress. Even if nothing is happening to me directly, the very thought of Peeta being imprisoned by the Capitol gets me all worked up.

"Picked out a name yet?" he continues on.

"No, not yet. The doctors couldn't tell from the ultrasound what gender it was, so I didn't want to waste any time thinking of names I couldn't use," I reply. Baby names are the farthest thing from my mind.

"Oh, I see. Well, I wanted to wish you luck with your child," he grabs one of Penciled Brows' hands, "We both do."

"Hmmpf," Penciled Brows exhales in a superior tone and removes her hand from his grasp.

I don't like this woman. So I venture a question without any concern for her feelings, "Do you have any children?"

Penciled Brows sneers and the yellow-eyed man shakes his head. However, before he can say something, she speaks up. "Well, dear, it's a touchy subject. You see, Augustus and I _had_ a child, but it died at six months. I was your age then," she forces out through gritted teeth. "But of course, I wish you and your child the best of luck. Let's hope it's not a preemie!"

I'm perplexed at her false kindness. Is her grief for her child still so strong that she would wish my pregnancy had complications? I push this thought far from my mind.

Thankfully, Mayor Bauer takes the microphone and quiets everyone down. This gives me an excuse to look away from this insensitive woman. He says, "It is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time: Mr. and Mrs. Gale Hawthorne!"

There is cheering, clapping and quite a few whistles for Madge. They couple walk in, arm-in-arm and kiss for the cameras. Gale picks up Madge and twirls her around to make the crowd go wild. Then, they take their seats at a table on the other side of the hall.

I prop my head up on the table. I don't care how formal the event is and how I'm breaking some kind of forbidden "no elbows on the table" rule. People with common sense do not mess with pregnant women. I decide to focus my attention on the walls, which are a deep shade of brown. I don't want to talk about my baby. In fact, I don't think there is much that I _can_ talk about that would interest me.

But I'm wrong, because at this moment, my father taps my shoulder and whispers, "Peeta knows."

Of course, this grabs my attention. My jaw drops in a look of astonishment. I'm not positive as to what he is referring to, but considering our past conversation my first thought is: _Peeta knows about the baby!_ Before I lose myself, I whisper back to him, "He knows I'm having a baby?"

My father raises his eyebrows and shakes his head, "He knows we're trying to rescue him."

My heart drops and I feel like it has fallen from the highest mountain to the deepest valley. Peeta does not know he is going to be a father. My father was just trying to comfort me by letting me know that Peeta is in on the plan, that someone from inside the Capitol, or possibly even Annie, has told him (even if I'm not supposed to know about that last bit). I appreciate his efforts, because I'm sure he shouldn't be telling me anything, but I'm left in a state of confusion. This comment has given me even more questions. How much does Peeta know? Who told him? I don't dare to ask him anything. If I do, my questions will surely remain unanswered but my father will have some new questions himself.

So I nod and try not to look depressed all over again. I mutter out a thank you and then turn away to concentrate on the chocolate brown walls.

It seems like hours pass, just socializing and lots of drinking. Other people at the table start conversing with my father and everyone avoids the topic of the baby. The man with the yellow eyes orders me a glass of champagne, which I reject even before the waiter has time to scribble the order down. But the champagne is brought anyway. It is sparkling white in a way that reminds me of the Capitol. For this reason, I despise it.

I get up to go to the bathroom and dump the champagne down the sink. I check each stall and make sure they are empty. I find this surprising (because you would believe the bathrooms would be occupied while you were at a wedding) but realize that the bathroom I'm in is farther from the one by the grand hall. Women would rather wait ten minutes then try and find somewhere else to go.

I take a few minutes to escape from the world. When I decide to leave, I swing open the door and there standing in front of me is Gale.

"I saw you get up," he says, arms folded behind his back.

"Yes," my voice cracks and I clear my throat.

He points to the bathroom, silently asking me if it is occupied. I shake my head and he pulls me inside. He turns off the lights and finds the lock on the bathroom door. We stand by the sinks and he just holds me.

"Katniss… Katniss," he mumbles as he rubs my back.

I don't know what to do. Gale has been giving me the silent treatment for a long time now. His emotions seem to be changing, just like mine. That's when I realize I'm wrong. They haven't been changing, they've been concealed.

It's my turn to give the cold shoulder. I say nothing as he finds the thread my father sewed together this morning. He begins to pick at it absentmindedly. "I've got to tell you something," he says as the thread breaks and begins to unravel.

"Yes?" I look up into his dark gray eyes. Tears begin to well up inside of me.

"When I was saying good-bye to you, that is, at the 74th Hunger Games, the Peacekeepers took me away before I could finish what I was saying," he says softly.

"Yes, I remember."

"I need you to remember something else Katniss," he whispers into my ear, "Remember that I love you."

I nod and try to remain calm. "Gale…"

He looks expectantly into my eyes. I'm lost for words.

So, I repeat what I said the last time, "I know." It seems cruel, but he knows what's going on in my life and in his. There is no way we could be together. "I can't pretend I haven't had feelings for you too," I say.

There is silence for a long time. "We can't be together," he realizes.

"No," I place my hand on his face, "But we can be friends. If things work out in the end, we'll still be close."

"Yes," he covers my hand with his own. A chill runs through my body. "Good-bye, Katniss," he kisses my forehead and turns. And just like that, too fast and too soon, he is gone.


	9. 9

(9)

The back of my dress is coming undone, but I hardly take notice. I try and walk out of the bathroom casually, but don't succeed. I realize I probably should have waited a few minutes, because Gale's absence won't go unrecognized, but I'm not thinking straight. I return to the table and sloppily bump into it, knocking over the yellow-eyed man's wine glass.

For the rest of the night, I avoid eye contact with Gale. The reception turns out to be extremely boring. Gale's father makes a very long speech. I don't really pay attention. The food is not very good, so I don't eat much. Everyone has far too much to drink, to fill up their stomachs, and people begin wobbling back to their homes before Gale and Madge even cut the cake.

I ask my father if we can leave early, because Penciled Brows is finding a way to mock me in everything she does. He agrees to go after dessert. I stuff my face with cake as soon as the waiter brings it to me. I probably ate a little too fast, because I start to feel queasy. We leave a few minutes after he finishes.

Just as we're exiting, Haymitch bumps into me. He exclaims something, but I can't comprehend his gibberish.

"Katniss, Gale got married! Isn't it wonderful?" he cries out, wrapping his arms around me.

I peel them off and say quietly, "It's just great."

He nods enthusiastically and takes my hand. It's filthy and cold. I try to pull my own hand away, but he holds on tightly. All of a sudden, I feel paper. Yes, indeed, it's paper. Haymitch is slipping me a note.

I give him a look of understanding and clasp the paper in my hands. He lets go of his grip and his face turns somber. We lock eyes for a few seconds. Then, I turn away and slip into the darkness with my father following behind.

We arrive home and I ignore the note, placing it on the bed's side table. I strip off the dress and take a shower. How does District 13 have running water? It's an innocent question, but I still may never know the answer. I make a mental note to ask my father when I can.

I towel dry my hair and put on a t-shirt. I'm more comfortable now then I've been in a long time. It's as if I've made peace with Gale. I sit down on the floor in the bathroom, back against the toilet. My hand finds my stomach and I rub it gently. There is the ticking of the clock on the wall, steady and comforting. Closing my eyes, I breathe a deep sigh. Tranquility.

Then there is a shout from my father and my peace is gone.

"Get out of here! You're drunk!" he yells.

I stand up and peer out of the bathroom. My father is standing at the front door, ordering someone outside to leave. I come up behind him and gasp. It's Haymitch. Why, of all people, would Haymitch come here? We just saw him a few minutes ago! My father must know about the confrontation I had with him this morning, because he's telling Haymitch to leave, literally pushing him out the door.

My eyes open wide in a look of panic. I run back into my bedroom and unfold the note, reading it quickly: _You better not tell a living soul about my secret or I will make the world a living nightmare for you. Love Haymitch Abernathy_

I'm frightened. Is Haymitch mentally unstable? I saw Maysilee's death with my own two eyes. However, Haymitch seems to think this is his deep, dark secret and if anyone found out, it would be the end of the world.

I try to call out to my father, "don't let him in!" but it seems like Haymitch is stronger than him. I whip around to find he is right behind me. He shuts the door and locks it. I open my mouth to speak, but he clasps his hand over it. I spit. He shakes his hand out and wipes my spit on his shirt.

"I'm here to tell you everything," he says quietly.

"What?" I ask raising my voice.

He puts a finger to his lips, "About District 13, Katniss. All our plans. Everything."

My eyes open wide. This can't be true! A wave of skepticism comes upon me. "What's the catch?" I ask.

"No one is to know about Miss Maysilee's fate," he says slyly. He thinks this is a good deal. All the information for me to swear to secrecy.

I pretend to think this over and then nod in assent, hardly believing how easy this will be. After all this time of not knowing, he's just going to give it to me, practically for free.

"What shall I start with?" he says staring me right in the eye.

"Tell me about the Dark Days," I squint at him.

Haymitch begins with a speech similar to the one read by President Snow. Then, instead of saying about how District 13 was destroyed, the story changes, "The Capitol saw that District 13 was in full rebellion. The nuclear weapons they'd been producing served as a threat, unlike the major industries of all the other districts. So, they attacked there first, sending in hovercrafts with weapons that would destroy the whole district. The people of District 13 put up a good fight, but eventually they were surrounded and the president gave the command to detonate."

"They fired, killing everyone above ground. But the Capitol was foolish. You see, the people of District 13 are not idiots. Way before the rebellion, they had created a special place underground to store weapons in case of any emergencies. When the Capitol was fighting, they didn't even notice that people seemed to be just disappearing, the numbers decreasing in multitude. People were escaping underground. The Capitol completely underestimated District 13, so once they'd destroyed everything, they took some footage and left.

"Many people had gotten away. The population only decreased by a few hundred and was quickly repopulated through the years. Most recently, people from other districts have been fleeing to District 13, like your little friend Leanore. We picked her up on the way. She was fleeing from District 6. She's a rebel, I'll tell you. Left her whole family behind in hopes of finding a future with the rebellion," his voice trails off.

I reflect upon Leanore's bravery for a few moments. It takes a strong person to make such a life changing decision for something you're not even sure exists.

"Anyway," he continues, snapping out of his reflecting state, "the Capitol eventually found out that District 13 had not been destroyed. They were afraid that the nuclear constructors had become more powerful and that they posed an even more serious threat than before. Of course, showing that District 13 had not been completely obliterated would be a weakness of the Capitol, so none of the other districts were aware and they continued to show old footage every year.

"In the meantime, the president of Panem went to 'negotiate' with District 13. Hostages were taken and, under pressure, District 13 vowed to remain hidden. The hostages were all killed. The history of what happened next is a little sketchy. Some say that the people of District 13 all lived peacefully for awhile, coexisting in Panem without the other districts' knowledge. For some reason, the Capitol didn't seem to bother them. Maybe they were under the impression that the killings had taught the rebels a lesson, so they didn't think twice about District 13 anymore. It was ignored, until now. We believe that President Snow is building an army to come and attack, because it doesn't make any sense they haven't come here already."

Haymitch takes a deep breath. It's a lot to take in at once. I process each fact individually, soaking up the meaning. After he is done speaking, I gingerly pat him on the back and tell him that is all I need to know at the moment. I can hear more of their plans later. Right now, all I want to do is sleep. Rest my head down on the pillow and drift someplace else. Haymitch can tell me tomorrow. So, he leaves and I follow my plan.

The next day, he does not come to see me. Nor the day after that. I begin to wonder what's going on. My question pops out during breakfast on the third day of his absence. My father said Haymitch had never mentioned coming to see me. He agrees to bring my concerns to Haymitch.

When he finally comes, I ask him about their plans. He looks at me as if I'm crazy and flatly denies he ever said he would tell me. When I remind him of what I know, he responds with a simple, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The days pass. Hour upon hour, week after week, month after month. Time begins to slip away. With time, my pregnancy issues increase and I blow up like a balloon. It's a week before the opening ceremonies to the Games start when my father breaks the news to me.

"We're leaving tomorrow," he says casually over dinner.

I nod. Of course, I am expecting this. One of these days, he is just going to leave, kind of like when he abandoned my family in District 12. But once again, his journey has a purpose and it is more important than what he is leaving behind.

We say our good-byes at nighttime because he's leaving very early in the morning. Gale and Finnick stop by. I've seen them a couple of times since the wedding. Haymitch doesn't come. I've heard that Plutarch and Beetee have been so busy lately with preparation that they don't take breaks for lunch or dinner, so I can hardly expect to see either of them.

The hardest part is actually seeing Madge say good-bye to Gale. She doesn't want to let go of him. I can't pretend I haven't noticed her affection for Gale is genuine. I try to ignore it though, because every time I see the way she looks at him, it reminds me of Peeta.

Eventually, they leave and Madge spends the night with me, so she doesn't have to be with Gale again tonight. I understand how she may feel. We don't talk for the entire time, going back to the way we usually are. Silent and resolute. We fall asleep without a sound.

I feel a tug on my arm and open my eyes warily. I'm so surprised to see Leanore standing next to me. I'm in a daze as she ushers me out of bed. We are walking outside. The sun is just rising and the color of the sky is a lovely shade of orange. This is all I notice. Before I even speak, I am inside the hovercraft. She takes me to a closet and sits me down, telling me to be very quiet and it will all work out. I don't want to be here. Why am I here? What's going on? But I don't get to ask, because she jabs a needle up my arm and I black out into nothingness.

* * *

END OF PART ONE


	10. 10: Part II The Rescue

**PART II: **

**"THE RESCUE"**

(10)

As my eyes flicker open, I see the sliver of light shining through, just beyond the door. There is the sound of shallow breathing coming from above. I'm startled to look up and find Leanore is hovering over me. She leans down and says softly, "Time to wake up."

I'm so confused as to what's happening. It takes all my effort to mumble one word, "Explain."

As if on cue, the door opens and in walks Haymitch. "Hello sweetheart," he says with a sneer. Leanore walks over to him and he gives her a pat on the back. "Well done. You can leave," he whispers into her ear. The edges of her mouth curve up in a smile and she gives me a quick stare before closing the door behind her.

I take note of my surroundings. I'm lying on a mat and my feet have pins and needles. Haymitch paces over to me and squats down. A stench of alcohol wafts down and enters my nose. "Aren't you confused?" He smiles, bearing his yellow-stained teeth.

I blink, and he takes this to mean yes.

"I'm such a compassionate person," he begins, "that I decided to bring you along. Now you can see your beloved Peeta, blah blah blah... No need to lavish me with praise and thanks, I just need you to stay out of the way. Deal?" he says extending a hand.

I moan in response.

"Alright!" he exclaims, standing up abruptly. "How you feeling?" There is no compassion in his voice. In fact, I don't think there is an ounce of compassion anywhere in his body. When I don't answer, he walks out of the door, not even bothering to look back.

I have to go to the bathroom. In fact, I'm bursting. Slowly, I try and sit up. The pain is unbelievable. I figure that about now I'm around thirty eight weeks in my pregnancy. The baby should be coming within the month. The thought makes me feel odd. And fat. I gradually stand and breathe in deeply. I take a step and feel the urge to throw up, but hold it back. Stepping out of the closet, I make my way to find a bathroom.

This hovercraft is just the same as the one I was on before, and it's so large, that it gets confusing. Luckily, it isn't long before I run into Beetee. He looks even better than when I first met him, but he appears physically drained. He has deep bags under his eyes and his hair is every which way. When he sees me, his eyes become very large and he says, "Hello!"

I barely extend my hand before he brushes past me, going straight down the hallway in a harried fashion. "Excuse me?" I call after him, but my voice is cracked and he looks pressed for time. He just keeps walking. I sigh deeply.

It takes me a couple of minutes to find a bathroom and when I sit down, hardly anything comes out. As I'm washing my hands, I feel the need to go again. It's extremely unpleasant. I turn sideways and look at my profile. Until now, I had never really seen myself when I looked in the mirror. This was the first time I actually processed what I look like. My hair is all messy and I look dirty. I wonder how long I've been in that closet. It couldn't have been that long, because I'm not starving. The bags under my eyes are almost as big as Beetee's. My eyes travel to my feet and I stare at them. I'm not wearing shoes, and they are caked in dirt. I gaze back into the mirror and a single tear falls down my cheek.

Turning away from the mirror, I leave the bathroom and try to find my way back to where I came. I find Haymitch. Before he can say anything, I ask one of my questions, "Does everyone know I'm here?"

"No! What were you thinking? Just get up and leave? NO! Get back in here!" He ushers me into the closet. "Did you see anyone?" he asks anxiously.

"Yes. Beetee," I say instantaneously. "He looked pretty busy though, so I doubt he actually understood I was here when I'm not supposed to be."

Haymitch runs his fingers through his hair, "Well, you better not leave again. I have to go sort things out."

"Ok…?" I respond with a puzzled expression. There's no point for him to waste any time telling me what's going on. I have grown used to all this confusion, so I'm beginning to accept that fact that everything will not always be explained to me at every moment. I sit back down on the mat.

The next few days pass and there still is no explanation. Haymitch escorts me to the bathroom when I need to go (which seems all the time!) It's a little awkward, but I adjust quickly. Leanore brings me food and smiles. Then the day comes when she announces, "The coverage of the Games starts today."

I nod and she takes me into another room that has a TV. She flips it on and I gasp. Of course, there are no Reapings this year, so they'll start with the chariots in the arena of the Capitol. But, this is such a short part of the opening ceremonies that does not last longer than a few hours, so the Capital is replaying moments of Peeta and me. Of course.

It's difficult for me to watch, but it also makes me feel close to him again. There I am, screaming his name after the announcement saying there could be two winners. There he is, calling to me from the mud. They show me pulling off his shorts and us in the cave. The kisses, the love, the willingness to die for the other.

Looking back on this, I realize that some of it wasn't just for sponsors. I really wanted to keep Peeta alive. I could have left him to die from his wound, or be killed by Cato or even shot him at the very end of the Games. No, the Boy with the Bread meant something to me. And now, he means even more to me. He is the father of my child. He is fighting to stay alive. He is a strong person who loves me unconditionally. This part makes me cry.

I stare at the screen. His proposal to me is so sweet. I remember discussing this public marriage proposal and how after Peeta agreed, he slipped into his room and stayed there for a long time. Haymitch's words come back to me, "He wanted it to be real." It's true. Peeta wasn't going to settle for anything fake. I bet he despised our fake love, our fake engagement, our fake baby. But now, none of it is fake, and he is lost. I don't know if I'll ever be with him again.

"I love you, Katniss," I look into his blue eyes. In them, I can see my reflection and I don't appear happy or surprised. I want to reach and pull him out of the television. I want him here with me, to comfort me, to fix my problems, to sleep with me. But he isn't here and I doubt he'll be with me ever again.

The chariots come out late into the afternoon. The announcer brings them out in pairs by alphabetical order. Annie and Cinna are first. Both of them look very thin and helpless. They are dressed in black from head to toe. The material looks stretchy and sweaty. I doubt Cinna is happy right now. Darius and Effie come next, in the same outfits as Annie and Cinna.

When the seventh Chariot comes out and I see Peeta again, he does not disappoint me. He looks so mature. I understand that we are no longer sixteen, but I never expected him to get so old, so fast. I wonder how much his voice has changed.

They do a close-up on him. Octavia is blowing kisses to the crowd and he's just smiling, with his mouth closed, right at the camera. He rolls his eyes a little and my heart flips. I wonder how many girls in the Capitol admire him. Probably quite a few, because no one can deny he's attractive. I guess most likely more than before Quell, now that I'm supposedly dead.

The coverage is over and I switch off the television. Laying my head down on the pillow, I block out all my feelings. There is nothing I can think about that won't lead me to something I'm trying to keep away from my immediate thoughts. So I just sit there.

The days often go by in this fashion. I wake up, eat, go to the bathroom, watch television and then go back to sleep, thinking of nothing as I do so. During the first two days of training, I get to see longer profiles on each tribute and the announcers talk about everyone individually. I hate to see the way my mother and Prim look. After all this time over the years of me trying to help them survive, doing everything in my power to make sure they didn't starve, they will meet their ends in the arena. How fitting.

The scores aren't surprising. My prep team all pull out twos. Peeta gets a twelve, probably just to be a target again. Some scores I do wonder about. Rue's sister and the boy Merrow both get tens. Morrison earns an eleven and little Prim manages a nine! I wonder what she did to impress the Gamemakers.

The next day is the day of prepping for interviews. Haymitch comes in and has a chat with me about what I'm not supposed to do. "Stay put right here in this room. Don't distract people. Push this button if you need Leanore for something," he drags on and on.

I hardly listen and just mumble "Mm-hmm," when he finishes.

The interviews are nothing special. Caesar, for the first time I can remember, is not hosting. I have a feeling he quit in response to my death. Maybe he suspected something. I'll never know for sure. Instead, Boplee Hickleston takes his place.

Boplee is a small man with bright purple hair poofing out in all directions. His make-up is ridiculous. It's extremely white and he looks like a ghost. On top of all this, he is wearing black lip gloss that gives him a girlish touch. He certainly speaks effeminately. "Welcome," he says in a long Capitol accent. "I'm Boplee Hickleston here to host the 75th Quarter Quell Games Interviews. First up, we have dashingly gorgeous Annie Cresta, all the way from District 4. Come over here, darling!" He crosses his legs and pats the seat next to him, motioning Annie to come and join him.

The interviews continue like this. He goes from tribute to tribute, asking questions that are completely irrelevant to anything important. "So, you're Katniss' designer! I must say, she always looked stunning in your clothes. Could you do something for my wardrobe?" he asks Cinna.

"Only if I win," Cinna says with a sly smile. Maybe this will get him sponsors, because Boplee is in desperate need of a fashion makeover.

When I watch Jamie's and Morrison's interviews, I realize how much they are both like their younger brother. Strong, steady, confident young men who have a way with words. Neither of them stumble on any of Boplee's questions. They answer them right to the point and their manner of speech captivates me.

"So, four Mellark men in the Games this year, eh?" Boplee questions Jamie.

"That's what I counted," he says with a smile.

"And how does that make you feel?"

If I was Jamie, I'd feel like I was talking to a psychiatrist. However, he doesn't seem affected. "Well, I have to admit, it pretty much stinks. How would you feel if you knew for a fact that your brothers and father were going to die if you should live? I'm pretty sure you would not know what to think. Do you put their lives before your own, or do you take care of yourself and hope you won't have to kill them?"

Boplee pauses to give everyone time to reflect upon his rhetorical question. "Thank you, Jamie. Next up, we have Johanna Mason…"

Boplee's interview with Peeta is actually the worst of them all. "I'm so very sorry of your loss, Peeta Mellark. Losing a wife and a child! Must be heart-wrenching."

"Yes," he says. This is the first time I've heard him talk since his speech to me all those months ago. His voice is deeper, more masculine, experienced and wise. "We never got the opportunity to live the way we wanted to. All we wished for was to be normal people. In fact, I'm sure if we could start over, if we'd never been tributes for the first Games, we'd do it. But it's too late now. I've lost her."

I know I can tell how a person is really feeling. Not by their face, but by their eyes. And looking into Peeta's, I see the truth. He does not know I'm still alive.


	11. 11

(11)

My mouth opens at the discovery of this. Peeta must know I'm alive, right? Without hesitation, I smack the button signaling Leanore to come to my room. My eyes stay glued to the television as Peeta leaves his chair and Portia takes his place. Leanore runs into the room, out of breath.

"So sorry I'm late. I was… on the other side… of the hovercraft," she says, trying to control her breathing.

I remain silent and continue to stare at the television blankly.

Leanore doubles over and her breathing starts to slow. She walks up to the bed, wiping a drop of sweat off her brow and says, "What can I do for you?"

I purse my lips and drag my eyes off the screen to look at her. "Peeta doesn't know I'm alive." It's more of a statement than a question.

"Well, they talked about this in the meetings. He had to know as little as possible just in case he was tortured. Most importantly, he couldn't know you were still alive, because right now, not even the Capitol knows for sure if you are or aren't. You can bet everything that they would make sure you were dead," Leanore says with conviction.

"I'm supposed to be dead. According to them, I died during the Quell," my voice trails off as I realize something. I'm just like District 13. I'm someone who was supposed to be killed, but ended up staying alive. The Capitol can't let anyone know I'm alive, because if I am, it would showcase their weakness. They cannot destroy me. I just wonder when I'm going to be faced with death again and what I can do to save myself.

Leanore nods slowly.

"Can't you tell him now? Please tell him!" I force out.

"No. It's still too dangerous," she says patting my arm. "You'll see him very soon. It's going to be alright."

Nothing is going to be alright. She knows this, I know it and so does Haymitch. We're all doomed. But I don't say anything to contradict her. Instead, I just look away and lock my eyes on the television again. Leanore grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly. She then walks out of the room without another word.

My sister has the next interview. "Hello there. Everyone give a warm welcome to Primrose Everdeen!" Boplee exclaims.

There is clapping from the crowd. Her smile is award winning. Whoever is coaching her must have told her to play up the likeable angle. She grabs Boplee's hand and says maturely, "Please call me Prim."

Getting a closer look at Prim, I realize that she looks completely different. I watch as my sister smiles at the audience. Her teeth are pearly white and her blond hair is crimped and curled. The shade of blond is brighter than her natural color. She's wearing a black dress with pink polka dots. Getting a close up on her face, I see that her blue eyes are bright as ever with flecks of gray. She's also wearing make-up and this is something new to me. I hate to admit that she looks beautiful with all the altercations. But it's not her. This is just another thing I hate about that Capitol. They can change a person, and they have certainly changed Prim.

They pan her whole body. Starting at her face, the camera slowly moves down so you can see the detail on her dress. Her legs are glowing and she has them crossed in a confident manner. Her shoes are simple black heels. The camera goes back up to her face and zooms out so you can see her whole figure. Her stylists deserve a hand.

"Prim?" I say in disbelief as she starts laughing. It's not her real laugh. Her coach must have taught her how to laugh differently as well.

All of a sudden, I hear a knock on the door. I don't have time to ask who it is before Gale walks in.

His jaw drops. "Katniss?" he runs over to the bed and touches my head. "Katniss, what are you doing here? You can't be here!" I can tell by the way he is reacting that he doesn't know what to think. He holds my hand, he storms across the room, he paces, he hits things and ends his emotion roller coaster by giving me a hug. "This is impossible. Catnip, no…" He says as he buries his face in my hair. "No, no, no…" he climbs into the bed and lies down, letting go of our embrace. He rubs his temples and stares at the ceiling. "The Games start tomorrow," he says rolling over to look at me, "you can't be here." I lie down next to him, our faces inches apart.

All of a sudden, my stomach gets hard and it feels like a shock is running through my body. I feel so much pain that I roll onto my back and yell, "Oh… no!"

Gale leans over me and asks what's wrong. I moan and point warily to my stomach. He rubs it soothingly and I feel a little better. The pain is still there, but Gale is erasing some of it. "Mmmm…" I let out as he strokes my belly. "Don't stop," I say.

"I won't," he comforts me. "So, how far along are you?"

"Thirty nine," I mumble wearily. "Don't tell." He nods. I'm not sure he understands what I mean, but I don't want anyone else on the hovercraft to know I'm here. It is bad enough Gale knows. "How'd you find me?"

"I heard a small voice say 'Prim' as I was walking by this room. Plus the television is pretty loud," he says, grabbing the remote and turning the volume down. Nobody wants to hear Regulus Undersee talk about me.

"Oh," I murmur quietly.

We sit in silence for awhile and he's just staring at me. I'm a little afraid of the look he is giving me. I meet his eyes for a moment and he opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out. I furrow my brow and look away from him. His eyes are completely covered in water. A tear is beginning to form at the bottom of his eye.

"Gale?" I whisper softly, running my fingers through his hair.

"Yes?" he looks at me with so much care and understanding. But I have to do this. I have to tell him. I must deliver the blow.

"Don't love me."

He grabs my hands and places them down on the bed. "Impossible," he swallows his tears. Getting up off the bed, he gives me one final look and leaves, closing the door softly behind him.

I don't sleep very well that night. I have nightmares, all in which I'm in a lot of pain. When I awake, I try to shake them off, but they keep coming back to me, reminding me of all the hurt in this world. Today is a big day. Today some innocent people I know will die.

As the coverage begins, Leanore comes in and lies down with me. There are some announcements and a review of the interviews last night. I have another painful contraction in my stomach. Leanore thinks I'm dying and runs for some pain medication. After I take some, I feel a lot better, but more drowsy.

Before you know it, the camera is in the point of view of a tribute. He rises on a plate up to the arena. It only takes one look to see what the Gamemakers have done to the arena with all the time they had. Surrounding the golden Cornucopia is a tall ring of fire. The camera shows an aerial of the arena. I am shocked. The arena is in the shape of a mockingjay and the whole forest is filled with bushes of nightlock. I am the mockingjay and I will kill them all.

I see each tribute's reaction. There is one common emotion uniting them all. Fear. The voice of the announcer booms, "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!" The painful minute passes. The gong sounds.

Prim hops off her plate first, running away from the fire and through the bushes of nightlock. Merrow lunges off his plate and darts straight into the fire. What an idiot. Surprisingly though, he comes out the other side unharmed and starts grabbing knives and spears like a mad man. I notice he only reaches for one backpack and empties the contents to make room for his weapons. After he feels his raid is successful, he slings the pack over his shoulder and dashes out of the fire circle, heading for the woods.

Enobaria is the next to get her weapons. It appears like she got some minor burns on her hands, but the tributes' outfit, a simple black outfit similar to the one worn in the chariots, appears to be fireproof in some sort of way. Enobaria spots an ax and grabs it without hesitation. She turns around quickly and spots the little boy Tolliver. The ax is in his side before he can breathe. Tolliver drops to the ground. The first death.

Morrison Mellark comes through the fire and takes careful notice of Enobaria. She retrieves her ax, but Morrison is quick. He grabs two spears, two knives and lots of food and runs out of the fire circle quickly. Poor Darius. He just happened to be right by Morrison as he was entering the woods. Without a thought, Morrison stabs Darius in the heart and the red-headed, good-humored Peacekeeper I once knew falls to the ground, dead.

Enobaria stands ground around the Cornucopia, guarding the supplies, hungry to take more lives. I see Portia holding onto Cinna's hand, clearly afraid for her life as Enobaria spots them on the other side of the horn. I hear Cinna's scream. "Run!" he yells, pulling her away from the danger. But it's too late. Enobaria has expert aim and the dagger hits Portia's chest dead on. She flails her arms in agony, collapsing to the ground and Cinna makes a run for it, not daring to look back. Enobaria waltzes over to Portia, taking care to step on Tolliver's hand in the process. She removes the knife from Portia's chest and there is a sickening moment when Portia is literally choking on her own blood. Then, Enobaria stabs her again and Portia goes still.

No other attempt is made by anyone to get inside the Cornucopia. The camera shows the three Mellark boys. Peeta jogs along side of his brothers, sweat dripping down his face. Morrison hands Peeta a knife and Jamie a spear. Vick and Rory have paired up to, but don't have any supplies or weapons. And of course, my prep team has stuck together. I'm surprised Enobaria hasn't killed them all yet.

Everyone spends the rest of the day getting their bearings. Enobaria sets up camp by the Cornucopia, holding a knife in her hand as she rests. Johanna Mason swings herself into a tree. Cinna buries himself in the thicket of bushes. The cameras show almost every tribute.

They arrive to concentrate on Prim. It's dark out already, but I can see she is crouched in the bushes, exploring her pack. All of a sudden, there is a snap of a stick. She cannot see who it is, but I do, and I'm not sure what to think. Slowly, she slides her back up against the tree, reaching for her small dagger. Another snap. She jumps out to face them. It's the Mellark boys.

"Phew…" she exhales. "It's about time you got here. I've been waiting for hours!" she says with exasperation.

"Sorry Prim," Peeta apologizes, placing his pack down. I find it somewhat amusing that Peeta still makes so much noise when he's trying to be sneaky.

"Put that knife away," Morrison gives her a hard stare. She does as he says. "I got us plenty of food to last a few days. However, we need to start hunting as soon as possible to make sure the supply is never short."

Prim shivers at the thought of killing an animal.

"And Peeta, lighten up on the feet," Morrison orders gruffly. I take it that Morrison is a no nonsense kind of guy. Just the perfect person for the Hunger Games.

The boys put down their packs and sit on the forest floor. Jamie lies on his back, Peeta rests against a tree and Prim is Indian style. Morrison doesn't look content on the ground, so he stands up, rummaging through a pack of supplies.

"Tonight's luxury is crackers," he announces, tossing them to Peeta. He continues to explore the pack, frowning in discontent as he does so.

"Only two sleeping bags," Morrison calls out, as he takes them out.

"That's alright," Peeta says immediately. "I don't mind sleeping without one."

"No," Morrison says loudly as he begins to unroll the bags. "You and Jamie can share and Prim will have her own."

"I don't mind sharing," Prim contradicts, looking at Morrison.

Morrison raises his eyebrows and looks away from her, "No, I prefer to be alone."

"Alright. Well, my offer stands if you get cold," Prim tries to meet his eyes.

This exchange between Morrison and Prim makes everything extremely awkward, and I'm not even there! Thank goodness Jamie thinks of something to say, "So, what's our plan of action?"

Peeta jumps on the chance to change topic and looks over at his brother. "Weed out the weak. Hunt down the strong. Kill brutally like real Careers," Peeta breathes in deeply. At this moment, I register that the Mellark boys and my sister are the Career Pack. I find this realization a little strange because I just could never see Prim as a Career.

"Kill brutally?" Prim quivers, turning her gaze off Morrison. When she says this, I spot the Prim that I know. The little girl who saves an ugly cat, who raises a goat and who assists my mother in healing people. I spot the part of her that will never change, no matter what happens to her in the Games.

"Yes," Peeta says with false confidence.

"I already have a kill," Morrison informs the group without meeting anyone's eyes.

"Who?" Jamie's mouth hangs open slightly and he furrows his brow.

"Darius," he says solemnly. I'd completely forgotten that Darius had never had an interview before the Games. It probably put him at a disadvantage from the start. He couldn't really make alliances either. It doesn't matter anymore though. He's as dead as Tolliver and Portia and all the other tributes who have been brutally slaughtered over the past Games.

"You killed Darius?" Jamie shouts with a look of shock.

"Yes!" Morrison yells right back, "Almost everyone in this arena is going to die. Do you want to die?"

All three heads shake slowly.

"So be happy when I kill someone!" he steams and starts to walk into the woods.

"Where are you going?" Prim calls after him.

"Out," he says without turning around, grabbing a spear as he leaves.

Just then the cannons sound. Three shots signal the end of the bloodbath. This must be the smallest number of fatalities on the first day in the history of the Games.

Morrison stops walking and looks up into the sky, "That's all?"

No one responds, so he continues to walk away.

The cameras follow Morrison into the woods. He takes down branches with his spear, looking around to make sure the coast is clear. There is the sound of chatter and giggles. He snaps around to face my prep team. Flavius stops walking abruptly and meets Morrison's eyes. All three of them are unarmed. I hold my breath as Morrison readies his spear. He aims with precision right at Octavia's chest (which isn't a very small target), but surprises me by lowering the weapon.

He cautiously steps over to the bubble-headed trio. "Hey, are you hungry?" he asks, scratching his head.

"Absolutely famished!" Octavia says with exaggeration and a touch of relief, seeing that the sharp pointy thing in Morrison's hands is no longer threatening to touch her.

"Well," Morrison walks over to them, grabbing a couple berries of nightlock in the process, "you should try these. They're delicious!" He pretends to put one in his mouth. Of course, this convinces all three of them.

"Really?" Flavius asks, grabbing a fistful from the nearest bush.

"Oh! Thank goodness," Venia smiles, taking one of the berries from Flavius.

"You know, I was thinking of dying my hair this color!" Octavia bubbles, grabbing a berry for herself.

Venia rolls her eyes, "Of course you were."

"Everyone have a berry?" Morrison says impatiently.

Three nods.

"Together on the count of three," Morrison raises a berry to his mouth. "One… two… three."

Three swallows. Three cannons. Three still bodies.

Morrison checks to see if they had any supplies, but they didn't. At the last minute, he decides to take their clothes. The hovercraft comes right when he's done and he looks away as their naked bodies are taken away.

I'm grateful Morrison didn't spear them. Instead, I know they died suddenly and without pain. Maybe Morrison knows I'd want their deaths to be this way. He heads back to the camp.

"Thank God!" Jamie exclaims as Morrison trudges back, three pairs of clothes in his hands.

"Who's dead? We saw the hovercraft," Peeta calls out.

"Three shots, I believe," Prim adds.

"Got that stupid prep team to eat nightlock," he explains.

"Smart, considering it wasn't in the edible plants test," Jamie sighs.

"Not that they'd be smart enough to identify it even if it was," says Peeta.

"Why even bother with that station if it wasn't going to be useful in the Games?" Jamie wonders out loud, sitting up suddenly.

"Throw people off?" Prim suggests.

"Nah, that can't be it," Jamie says lying back down.

"Well, it doesn't matter much anymore," Peeta's head hits the back of the tree.

Morrison tosses the clothes into the pile, "Extra clothes."

Peeta and Jamie look at him expectantly, waiting for him to say more.

"And…?" Jamie finally succumbs to his impatience.

"That's all," Morrison's face is stone cold.

I wish that the camera would keep showing Peeta and my sister, but it has to follow the action and right now, nothing exciting is happening around them. As the scene changes from their campsite to the Cornucopia, I feel Leanore's hand slip into my own. I look into her eyes and she gives me a look of understanding. "Thanks," I mumble as my voice cracks. She smiles and I return my gaze to the television.

Johanna crouches just outside the Cornucopia. The ring of fire has long since been extinguished and she appears to be calculating the distance between the center of the horn and where she is standing. She bites her lip and quickly tosses the hair out of her eyes. Then, she runs for it, silently approaching Enobaria and the weapons. I'm surprised by how quietly Johanna moves. She reaches for a pack and slings it over her shoulder. Then she grabs the ax dangerously close to Enobaria. The sleeping tribute's nose twitches and she slowly rolls over. Shaking, Johanna readies her ax and swoops down.

Enobaria is fast though. She rolls over, dropping the knife, and grabs the nearest weapon, a spear. She sends it flying before Johanna can react, but Enobaria's aim is off and the spear misses her head by miles.

Johanna does not throw her ax. She watches as Enobaria scrambles backwards, breaking into a full-fledged run. Then, she raises her arm, takes aim and throws her weapon with all of her might. Enobaria falls to the ground as the ax hits the base of her shoulder.

There is a scuffling in the bushes and Johanna flips around with a wild look in her eye. She doesn't wait to see who it is. Instead, she grabs a small knife from Enobaria's pile and heads back into the woods. No cannon goes off.

Emerging out of the darkness is Rue's sister, Mayla. She slowly creeps over to the Cornucopia and grabs a few backpacks. That's when the moaning begins.

"Ah…" Enobaria rips the ax out of her shoulder and rolls onto her back.

Mayla looks puzzled. She takes a dagger off the ground and slowly walks over to Enobaria, holding onto the blade like her life depended on it. She walks right up to the whimpering Enobaria and stares at her, eyes glazing over.

Enobaria struggles to see Mayla. She tilts her head back a little and seeing the dagger in Mayla's hand, tries to scramble up to her feet. She finds she cannot.

Mayla continues to stare, her eyes opening very wide. Then, she squats down to the ground and Enobaria manages, "No. Don't!"

Mayla doesn't seem to be responsive. Her face remains solid and blank. Making eye contact with Enobaria, she releases the dagger with struggle. It makes a soft noise on the blood-drenched grass. Her black hair billows in her face as she searches through her pack. She carefully takes out a First Aid Kit and bandages Enobaria's wound without a sound. The expression on Enobaria's face changes from terror to gratitude. She closes her eyes as Mayla feeds her and pours water down her parched throat.

Gradually, Enobaria manages to sit up and Mayla takes the small dagger off the ground, grabbing Enobaria's hand. Fear flits through her eyes, but Mayla simply opens Enobaria's hand and places the handle of the dagger inside it, with a reassuring pat. Just like that, Mayla stands up and walks straight into the blackness. No thank you's, no questions asked, and probably nothing expected in return.

I wonder what Mayla's motives for her actions were. But then it hits me. She doesn't need any motives. She's just like her sister: kind, sweet, and caring. I don't think she could kill anyone and she scares me more than any of the other tributes. Her quiet nature is more threatening than Merrow's up-and-in-your-face approach. Her appearance is not of someone who could win, like Morrison. And based on what she's just done, she may care for everyone in this arena more than I do and she doesn't even know any of the other tributes. She doesn't even know me that well and has no reason to care about my friends. If anything, she has a reason to be upset with me. Because I'm alive, Rue is dead.

As she walks into the forest, I rank her at the top of my watch list and recall that she scored a ten on the evaluation on the third day of training for the Games. There is something about her that impressed the Gamemakers, so what is she holding back?


	12. 12

(12)

The anthem plays and the skies light up. The faces of Darius, Flavius, Octavia, Portia, Tolliver and Venia are projected into the night.

The cameras are back on the Career Pack. Prim takes a breath in, "Can we please find my mother?"

"No," Morrison replies without thought. "She would only drag us down."  
"Well, she is an excellent healer," says Jamie, trying to stand up for Prim.

"With any luck, we won't get injured," Morrison spits.

Prim climbs into her sleeping bag. It's very large for her small body, but there is not much room for a second person. Somehow Peeta and Jamie fit into their bag comfortably. Jamie crosses his arms and lies on his back, gazing into the stars. Peeta is on his side, facing Prim. Morrison just paces back and forth for awhile until he sits down, back against the tree.

"I'll watch for the night," he forces out, breaking a long silence.

Jamie protests, insisting they switch off, but Morrison doesn't give in. Eventually Jamie can't take the bickering and decides to fall asleep with Peeta and Prim quickly following.

Morrison isn't happy just sitting still. He gets up and runs into a different part of the woods, carrying only a small knife. After several minutes of jogging, his sweat begins to pour down from his forehead. Contrary to the Games in the past, the weather at night is actually quite warm, so he has no choice but to remove his shirt. I try not to notice, but Morrison is well shaped. He's very fit, which I assume is from wrestling and all the work he's done at the bakery. But to counter his physical perfection, the flaws in his character are, I'd say, more prominent then his body. The way he treated my sister earlier and how he insists on having everything his way, are not good qualities.

He wipes the sweat off his brow and takes out the knife, then repeatedly throws it into a tree, each time getting a good stick. Out of nowhere, a small voice arises, "Nice arm."

Morrison turns to face the direction of the noise and Johanna struts up to him, arms crossed with a look of displeased admiration.

"Evening Johanna," he says, leaving the knife in the tree.

"Morrison," she nods, acknowledging him. Then she drops her pack and flings herself at him. To my surprise, he willingly allows this and the cameras show her hands, moving up and down his back, searching for something. When she hits the top of his pants, she stops, and whispers, "You're clear," biting her thumbnail.

Morrison mumbles, "I'm not even going to check you."

"Trust…" Johanna snickers, touching his ear.

"Yes." I watch as the corners of Morrison's mouth curl up in a smile. This is the first time I've seen him smile.

"I love it when I'm trusted," she leans her face into his, "because I'm obviously very trustworthy."

"Obviously," his arms stay at his sides.

She chuckles lightly. "It's a pity you don't smile more. You have the cutest dimples," she sticks her finger into his cheek.

Morrison tilts his head backwards and closes his eyes, letting out a small moan and Johanna withdraws her finger.

Johanna grabs both his hands and places her head on his chest, "Allies?"

"You have a sleeping bag?"

"Morrison! I'll take that as a yes!"

"Oh, no!" he exclaims and clarifies, "You and Prim can share. I meant, do you have one I could use?

"Yes," Johanna releases her grasp on him and walks very casually and slowly over to pack, "But I don't want to share with Prim." She flips around to look him the eyes and lets out a small laugh.

"Well," Morrison begins, but there must be action elsewhere because the cameras leave Johanna and Morrison alone, going back to Enobaria.

She must be in some sort of excruciating pain because her moans are loud and consistent. For a moment, I don't know why we're watching Enobaria, but then I see the eyes emerge from the darkness. The tall, dark figure takes heavy steps closer to her shaking body. She begins to cry out louder. He smiles and takes a large rock off the ground.

Enobaria's eyes open wide. He is right over her head when he begins kicking her, again and again, until she's on her back, bleeding, begging for mercy. Then he takes the stone and hits her repeatedly until the cannon sounds. Merrow has his first kill.

Her death is too gruesome for me to bear. "Turn it off!" I yell at Leanore, squeezing my eyes tightly.

Leanore scrambles for the remote and the television is silenced. I breathe in deeply, but the food does not stay down. I barely have time to lean over the side of the bed before I've emptied the contents of my stomach all over the ground.

Leanore jumps out of bed and grabs the trash can. I vomit some more before pushing the can away and lying back down.

"You want me to leave it off?" she asks, rubbing my back.

"No, it's alright. You keep watching. I'll just rest my eyes. Wake me if anything important is happening," I say, and then I add, "or if they show Peeta."

"Ok," she reaches for the remote and turns the volume way down, to barely a whisper. I lay my head on the pillow and slowly drift off to sleep. If I had known I'd be falling into the worst nightmare of my life, I wouldn't have fallen asleep so easily.

I am running, pulling on a small child's hand. When I turn around to look, the figure grows larger, first into Leanore and then it becomes Peeta. I let go of his hand and turn to face him. Once again, a dagger finds itself in his stomach.

"NO!" I yell, ripping the knife out of him angrily. He howls in pain and I start crying. Unsure of what to do, I kiss him fiercely and he falls to the ground, soaked in blood.

I lie on top of him, shaking his head wildly. His beautiful locks of blond hair are damp with sweat. "Peeta!"

"Ahh…" he moans, in so much pain between the wound and my weight, but I find myself glued to him. "Forget me. Save the baby."

Baby? What baby? But my unspoken question finds an answer when a small voices calls, "Mommy…" in a way that sends chills down my spine.

I turn around to look into the eyes of a six year old boy whose mouth is open wide and filled with blood. "Mommy?" he repeats, stretching his hand to reach me. Without warning, the child disappears.

I face Peeta again. His eyes meet mine and his deep blue irises swirl around like a body of water before they begin to tear.

"Daddy!" A voice yells from above. Peeta looks up and so do I. A little girl about the age of eleven is sitting in the tree. She has blond hair just like Peeta and her eyes are the same shape and color as his own. But her hair is back in a braid and her mouth and nose are identical to mine. I'm not welcoming the idea, but she must be our daughter.

She hops off the branch from the tree and lands right at my feet. Standing upright, she bites her lip and whispers, "Is Daddy gonna die?" A drop of blood falls from her lip down her face. I stand up and go to wipe the blood away, when I am overcome by the smell of roses. President Snow has taken my daughter's place and he gives me a big false smile.

I hear a sound of struggling. Behind me, I see a platform. Leanore, Haymitch, Gale and my father are all standing on it with nooses around their necks, tied to the top of a large tree branch.

President Snow pulls a gun to my head and sneers, "Surrender?"

Through my peripheral vision, I see Haymitch fervently shaking his head. So I do as he wants and whisper, "No."

I hear boards slide and President Snow grabs my head with his filthy hands, forcing me to watch as all four people lose their footing and kick until they are still. There are four cracking noises and sickening silence, bodies swaying in the wind.

The first sound is made by Peeta and it sounds worse than the splitting of my friend's necks. President Snow looks over to him and says, "Almost forgot." He fires two shots into Peeta's head. I break free of Snow's hold and run over to him, hopelessly believing there's a chance he could survive. But as I shake him and hold him and breathe air into his lungs, nothing happens. Blood trickles out all over his body and a small pool forms at my feet.

"No!" I wail, scrunching up the neck of Peeta's shirt. I rip his top off and dab at his head injury, trying, without success, to remove the bullets that have lodged themselves deep into his skull.

"You monster!" I scream at Snow, eyes dashing between Peeta and the four hanging bodies tied to the top of the tree.

"And now…" Snow says, clicking his gun into position, "we put out the fire."

He points the gun at my head and I just hear the bang as my body falls limp on top of Peeta.

Then I feel a strong pull on my arm and I snap back into reality. "Katniss, Katniss!" Leanore yells repeatedly.

"No…"I keep moaning without any thought. "No!" My arms are thrashing around uncontrollably and I'm hitting her even if I don't mean to.

"Katniss!" she finally grabs my hands and silences me.

"Mm..." the noise of defeat escapes from my mouth.

"What's wrong?" she says, gluing her eyes onto me.

"You were hanged! And my father, Haymitch and Gale were too. Then President Snow shot Peeta and me…" I trail off and sob gently. "I hate all of this. I hate the Capitol. I hate President Snow for making my life miserable. I hate Haymitch for going crazy. I hate Gale for making everything complicated. I hate my father for just leaving my family for District 13. But most of all, I hate Peeta for getting me pregnant and for loving me so much! My father's right, Leanore. Maybe suicide is the best way to go," I stare at the television and Peeta is breathing slowly in and out in his slumber.

"No, shh... Don't talk like that" Leanore pats my hand.

Words flood out of my mouth before I can stop them, "I just can't take it anymore! I'm going to die soon, so why suffer more pain than I need to?"

"You aren't going to die. Things will work out the way they should. Katniss," she tries desperately to sedate me, "Katniss, we need to keep fighting or it will be a waste. All the lives lost, all the sacrifices, all the trauma will be all for nothing. Think, Katniss! Those people who died in the arena today are only dead because of you--"

"I KNOW!" I blow my head off at her. It is the loudest I've ever screamed at a person and it makes my voice extremely sore.

In a quieter voice, Leanore mumbles, "I didn't mean it like that. I meant…"

"I don't care what you meant. Just get away from me," my head is spinning and I push her off the bed. I can't see if she leaves or not. All that's going through my mind as I thrash around the bed is _I killed Darius and Portia. I killed Enobaria. I killed Tolliver and my prep team. It was me. Me!_ Now I know how Haymitch feels.

These thoughts consume my entire mind and as I fall back asleep, I am the real killer. Morrison does not kill Darius. I do. The violence feels more real in my imagination than when I watched it on television. You can smell the blood, almost touch it, even. The warm liquid covers my hands because I am the killer.

When I wake from my nightmares, I am a different person. I feel tough and unemotional. Leanore comes in to see me as soon as I wake up and asks me how I slept as if last night had never happened. Of course, I don't tell her I dreamt of murdering people. If I did, she might not let me watch the Games, so I reply with a simple, "Yes."

She doesn't question my response at all. Instead, she asks if I'm ready for the Games. With my nod and a push of a button, Day Two of the Hunger Games begins. Technically, Enobaria died on the second day, because she was killed after the night show. I wonder if anyone but Merrow knows she has died.

"What time is it?" I ask wearily.

"Noon," Leanore replies swiftly.

There is twenty four hour coverage on the Games. The people in the Capitol generally stay up all night long and sleep in during the day, so the cameras generally show the most important occurrences in the afternoon. My guess is that if I've missed anything, it happened late at night, but I don't really bother asking Leanore what I've missed. What I really have missed is her company, but I'll never admit this.

To my surprise, the camera comes to focus on my mother. She sits on the ground of the forest. She isn't injured, but she appears weak, probably from a lack of food. There must be some reason why she is the focus right now, but I can't figure it out.

That's when Annie appears out of the thickness of the bushes. She walks rather slowly, but doesn't seem to be any difficulty in her step and she doesn't look starved for food or water. I notice, also, that she is carrying a pack. I register that I _must_ have missed something last night.

As Annie approaches my mother, neither of them look frightened of ore even interested in the other. Annie lets her pack fall to the ground, right by my mother's feet and I hear her speak for the first time. "Lisa, those damn burns got the better of Effie."

My mother sighs and speaks softly in her quiet voice, "I'm sorry to hear that. Where is she?"

"Oh, out there somewhere. I told her I was going to find you," Annie replies, hastily pointing deeper into the forest.

I'm surprised at how different Annie is than she appears. Now I understand why she and Finnick are in love. She has a bit of a fiery spirit and from what I've seen, she appears intelligent. Also, I doubt anyone would deny she is pretty, so I can see why Finnick would love her. As for her attraction to Finnick, what's not to like about him? Based on what he has said about her, I get the impression that Annie and Finnick have a relationship similar to the one I have with Gale, minus the romance that is. Perhaps they grew up together as friends.

My mother carefully opens the pack. Inside she finds a few bottles of water and a slab of meat. "There's nothing in here," my mother cries.

"I know," Annie says roughly. "I tried going back to the Cornucopia but that boy was still there."

My mother tosses the bag away and gets up off the ground, shaking off the dirt on her clothes. "We should look for Effie," she says, attempting to run her fingers through her hair.

"We should…" Annie replies with hesitation, "… but I just don't feel like walking around this cursed arena to find an idiotic and brain-washed woman from the Capitol," she throws in quite a few curse words in her sentence.

"But she's an ally," my mother gives Annie an intense stare. She's trying to send her a message without words.

"I know," Annie returns the stare and after a minute, she turns her shoulder opposite my mother, walking away.

As soon as Annie says this, a shock runs through my body, a feeling of intense pain. I cry out and Leanore is shaking me over and over again but for a minute or so, I fall out of reality. This sort of pain is so different from what I've experienced in the Games.

"Katniss!" I hear her voice, but I cannot answer. Every time my mouth opens, another cry escapes. I jolt forward and scream.

When the moment is finally over and Leanore is in a complete state of utter panic, I lay back down and bite my finger. The pain slowly melts away.

"I guess Mellibelle is coming soon," Leanore stares at the button on my side table.

It takes me a minute to realize that she is referring to my baby. "Yes, I suppose," I mumble out.

"In two days you'll see Peeta," she continues.

The thought is overwhelming. I've been watching him on television for a long time, but he doesn't feel real. Even in my dreams, it doesn't even get close to actually being with him. "I hope."

"You will."

"You know something, Leanore?"

"What?" she says, anxious to respond because I'm finally talking.

"Three years ago, I was out in the forest hunting with Gale," I decide to say.

"You mean, today?"  
I check the television schedule on the side table for the date, "Yes, today."

"Ok. Why mention it?"

"On this day, (I remember because of how cold it was for the middle of March) we traded a rabbit for a loaf of bread at Mr. Mellark's bakery." As I'm speaking, this forgotten memory comes right up to the front of my mind, demanding to be recognized. "Gale brought it into the bakery and I waited outside in the snow. I remember how Gale had come outside to get me, saying that Mr. Mellark wouldn't sell it to him unless I was present. So, I thought nothing of it and went inside. But now I recall how Peeta was behind the cash register. I looked over at him and he didn't smile. He just stared at me, a look of indifference frozen on his face. I gave him a small smile as I left and just now, I recall how the tip of his nose had turned a scarlet red. I thought at the time it was from the cold, but he must have been blushing."

Leanore just nods. I'm not sure why this came to mind, but as Leanore formulates a response, I understand the reason.

"You're already close to him," she says.

"What?"

"You're reminding yourself of memories you have with him in order to feel closer," she replies matter-of-factly.

"Oh," I reflect upon this.

"Don't worry. In a month's time, you, Katniss Mellark, will be happily living with Peeta and your baby daughter in a warm house. You'll see," she says with a smile.

Of course, this is complete nonsense. I don't see myself living in any warm house or having a baby. I see myself dying the day after tomorrow. The hovercraft will be captured and I will be killed. Or maybe even I'll die during childbirth.

"'In all things it is better to hope than to despair,'" Leanore quotes. "My mother taught me that a long while ago. I don't know who said it."

Something deep inside of me stirs as she says this and I understand. I can't just give up on myself. There is a battle in the future and it is important that I don't lose hope. Maybe we aren't all doomed. So, as we concentrate back on the television, I begin to formulate a plan. A plan to escape into the arena.


	13. 13

(13)

My brain is moving in circles. I cannot concentrate on my plan of action if I'm watching the Games. I decide the Games are more important and watch the screen obediently, making a silent promise to come up with a strategy when Leanore silences the television.

My mother and Annie converse about something else very quietly and soon enough, the pair moves on to search for Effie. The cameras show Morrison. To my surprise, he hasn't returned to his brothers. Instead, he is sitting on a large rock, looking out into the distance, apparently at nothing. It's still too warm for him to put his shirt back on.

That's when there's a moan and he turns around. Johanna rolls over in the sleeping bag and hits herself in the head as she swings her arm across her body. She mumbles some curses and finally manages to sit up. At first, she just stretches, but then she eventually turns toward Morrison, who is neither smiling nor frowning.

She calls over to him, "Aren't you hot?" Johanna gradually pulls the sleeping bag away from her body.

"Actually, no. I'm fine," he replies. Then he adds, "Why? Are you?"

"Yeah, a little," she fans her face with her hand. "Look at my hair," she says absentmindedly. Johanna places her hands into her hair and shakes it up a bit. Dirt falls out of it. Normally, her hair is pretty spiky, but as she wakes, it's completely entangled and unusually flat.

"It looks fine," Morrison lies.

"Yeah, if mess is your standard," she smiles, standing up. She is barefoot and I notice her shoes are very far from her sleeping bag. "Morrison, mind passing me those," she asks, pointing to the simple black sneakers.

He grabs them and tosses them without much thought, still staring into the forest.

Johanna curses and sighs, "Where are my socks?" She searches around for them for a few minutes before forgetting her shoes all together. It's a while before either says anything but Johanna finally breaks the silence. "How are you going to tell them?"

"Tell them what? That we're allies?" he replies with a tint of frustration.

"Yeah…" Johanna gives him a weird "play along" stare that reminds me of how my mother was looking at Annie.

"I don't know," he decides is the safest answer.

"They're fools," she sneers.

"Who?"

"Why, the Capitol of course!"

I can hardly believe my ears. Johanna just called the Capitol people fools and it wasn't edited out. Is someone falling asleep on their job? Is this conversation planned? What she's just said reminds me of the Johanna I know. She's definitely more gutsy than me, probably even more so than Finnick (and that is saying something). But the question is: will Morrison be as brave as her?

"I know," he replies softly

"Once there's a small spark, there is no way to stop the fire," she continues.

"Yes. What the citizens of the Capitol don't know about what's really happening in Panem is completely appalling," I get the answer to my question by this response.

"No kidding. The whole country is in rebellion and the Capitol is still living in a bubble," Johanna looks up into the sky.

I'm still in disbelief that this conversation is getting through.

"And to think," Morrison reaches his arm out and plucks a berry of nightlock off the bush nearest him, "it's all because of some berries." He twirls the berry in his fingers before throwing it at a tree.

The berry bursts open and the poisonous juice stains the bark of the tree. Then, at the instant Morrison returns his gaze from the smashed berry to Johanna, fire encircles her, reaching far above her head. She yells and tries to escape from it by bolting, but the fire follows every step she takes.

"Johanna!" Morrison calls into the fire. He grabs for his shirt and pulls it on, running into the fire circle with her. Some people would consider this an act of bravery, but I think what he's just done is extremely foolish.

The cameras try to get a view from inside the fire, but it is impossible. Instead, I end up hearing sounds of struggling, screaming and a brief period of silence. It takes several minutes, but Morrison and Johanna escape the fire and it immediately extinguishes as they hit the ground.

She literally pushes him out of reach of the flames and this force knocks him to the ground. She falls on top of him, but other than being winded and a few minor burns, they are both alright.

"Get off me," Morrison says gruffly.

She laughs a little in his face and pins him to the ground.

"Johanna!" he yells again, this time, in a more mollified tone.

"What's going on here?" an alarmed voice calls. Morrison attempts to look up, but Johanna keeps him down with her weight. Eventually, she succumbs to her fear, or perhaps, curiosity, and turns around to face the intruder.

"Oh, it's just Jamie," Johanna says with relief, getting off the ground and dusting the dirt off her clothes. "We were just, uh … attacked by a fire."

"I heard the screams and saw the smoke," Jamie never stops looking at Morrison. "So, naturally, you would end up on the ground together."

"No, she fell," Morrison speaks up. He awkwardly stands up next to Johanna.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! I forgot that you two were allies! It would make a lot of sense for you to pin him to the ground, Johanna," Jamie looks very angry.

"Actually, we _are_ allies," Johanna breaks it to him.

Of course, I know this is all an act. Jamie knows that Annie told all of the people who are to be rescued _not _to kill each other. I spot another similarity between Peeta and his brother: the ability to lie convincingly.

And Morrison plays right along. He looks at his shoes, unable to meet Jamie's eyes. "I was going to tell you today."

Jamie remains silent and stares at Morrison coldly. "We said: no alliances without the approval of all the members in our Pack. Remember the long argument we had about Prim?"

"Yes. I still don't think she's useful or she can kill," Morrison replies.

"Prim is a very valuable ally. She can heal just as well as her mother and she very good at tending to people. Plus, she's Katniss' sister. I'm sure Katniss would want her sister to win more than she would want either of us," Jamie argues.

"True, but Katniss is dead, so she may actually prefer if Ms. Everdeen was with her in heaven," Morrison mocks slightly.

"In any case, choosing the correct allies is huge. How could you make a decision about Johanna without discussing this with Peeta and me?"

There is a period of long silence before Jamie says, "You know what? Just forget it. Do whatever you want." He storms away.

Morrison starts to follow him, but he takes only two steps before Johanna grabs his hand. Surprised, he faces her and she mumbles, "Don't go." She steps a little bit closer and I'm a little puzzled as to what is happening.

"Morrison…" There is something in Johanna's voice I've never heard before. I can't quite identify it.

"Johanna," he replies, but his tone is different from hers.

She leans into him and steps on his toes to reach his face. That's when she whispers something in his ear. It's inaudible to the viewer. Suddenly, Morrison's eyes widen and he steps back from Johanna.

"How do you know?"

"Listen…" she says quietly, "You can hear the noises if you're very silent."

"Where's my knife?"

"Did you sleep with it?"

"I don't know. Did I?" he gives her a funny look.

"I'm just kidding," she snickers a little.

"No, seriously. Where is it?"

"I took it from you," she admits.

"When?"

"Last night…"

"But, I thought I stuck it in the tree."

"Yeah, you did, but I took it," she says, slightly impatient.

"When did you take it that I didn't see?" Morrison looks just as puzzled as I do.

"After you fell asleep."

"What? But we…"

A rustling in the bushes cuts Morrison off. This isn't a quiet, muted rustle. You could probably hear the sound of crushing leaves from very far away.

Johanna steps back carefully and motions Morrison after her with a finger to her lips. She reaches the knife by her backpack and tosses it to him. Without a word, she climbs up into a tree.

Morrison stands guard around the small clearing of forest. For several moments, the world remains frozen in this way: Johanna in the tree and Morrison holding the knife, ready to attack without any notice. No other sounds are made.

I'm horrified to find Cinna stand up from the bushes.

My heart skips several beats as Morrison registers his presence.

Cinna sees Morrison and they lock eyes. There is a frightening second when Morrison aims his knife straight for Cinna's heart. But then, Jamie appears out of nowhere and places his hand on Morrison's arm, lowering it. He says in Morrison's ear, "Think of Katniss."

Cinna's green eyes return to their normal shape as he slowly steps out of the bushes.

I Whisper a silent prayer thanking Jamie. Cinna still appears alarmed and Morrison remains ready to kill, but there is less tension than a minute ago.

"Well?" Morrison glares at Cinna in such a way that I want to punch him in the face.

Cinna remains frozen in place, but Jamie steps over to him and says, "Hey, if we're making alliances, why not Cinna?"

My designer looks half baffled, half frightened. "I don't want to slow you down," he says under his breath.

"Good! Then we _both_ agree you should be my fifth kill," Morrison walks up to Cinna and holds the knife to his neck.

I close my eyes, waiting for the sound I hoped I would never hear again. But instead, I hear Peeta's sweet voice calling to Morrison, "Don't be a jerk."

My eyes flash open at the sound of Peeta and sure enough, he is there, standing behind Jamie and Prim is with him. Johanna has climbed out of her tree and now stands off to the side, anxious to see what will happen next. She looks as content as a viewer of the Games, not an actual participant.

Morrison lowers his blade and Cinna breathes in slowly. "A jerk, eh? I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't read the rules correctly. I thought the object of this Game is to kill people!" Morrison yells at Peeta, right in the face. Morrison does have a point. As I think this, I realize just how effective his lying is. I know that all of this is staged, and yet for a second, I completely forgot.

Johanna comes up to Morrison and touches his shoulder. This immediately calms him down.

Prim speaks up, "I'm sorry, Cinna. You can leave now."

I notice Johanna's hold on Morrison strengthens and she holds him in place as Cinna runs away, deeper into the woods. I think it is odd how six tributes had just been in the same place and how all six are still alive. If I think this is strange, what must the other viewers think?

In my head, I try to tally up how many people are left. The Career Pack is now five. My mother, Annie, and Effie are a team of three. Cinna, Merrow and Mayla are all alone. That's eleven. Then I think of Rory, Vick, Mr. Mellark and Mayor Undersee. That makes fifteen. So far, seven have died. It takes me some time before I realize the other two tributes are Greasy Sae and Thresh's grandmother, Yula.

That's when there is a cannon and the camera whips from the Career Pack to the deformed figure of Mayor Undersee, an arrow through his skull. The cameras just catch a glimpse of Merrow, who is running wildly through the woods. A feel a deep pang of sadness seeing Madge's father die. I can only imagine what is happening to Madge right now back in District 13. In fact, I get a very clear picture. Her head is probably buried in a pillow. She's crying for her father, for her mother, for me and for Gale.

I change the list inside my head. Sixteen are left. It's mid-afternoon and the Capitol people must be thirsty for blood. I watch for several hours. The Career Pack is split up by more fire, but they rejoin at the Cornucopia. Unfortunately, all the supplies are gone. Prim suggests they go to the lake to get water. From the beginning aerial shot of the arena, I know there is no lake. The only water source is a small stream at the base of the mockingjay's tail. The Cornucopia is in the place of the mockingjay's heart. There is no way that they would be able to reach the stream by nightfall.

I wish I could be there with them to tell them that they are heading in the wrong direction, but Morrison leads the Pack up to the head of the mockingjay. For the second day, all five of them survive on one bottle of water alone. Everyone must be extremely dehydrated.

I'm thrilled when a package floats down and lands in Prim's hands. Inside of it are sixteen rolls from District 4. I now know the secret code. I just hope that the Gamemakers haven't figured it out. Along with the rolls is water. The tributes drink sparingly.

Annie and my mother find Effie sometime around two o'clock. Effie has a few nasty burns, but nothing too pivotal to her health. The trio eats the slab of meat and finishes all of the water bottles. At least when they begin to travel, they are headed to the bottom of the mockingjay.

Ultimately, the cameras come to rest on Rory and Vick. I am utterly shocked to see they are by the stream, carelessly drinking water and hunting with arrows. Now I know I have missed something crucial but I still don't ask Leanore anything. I wonder where Gale's brothers learned to hunt. Maybe he taught them a few things when I was gone. I probably would have done the same for Prim if I knew that our district was in potential danger.

It's nighttime now and nothing much is happening. The camera scans through all of the tributes. I feel especially bad for Mr. Mellark who has no supplies. He appears to be eating some kind of particularly juicy berry to keep him alive.

Finally, Leanore turns off the television and says something about getting rest. My brain is already active. She climbs out of bed and turns the light off on me, whispering, "Goodnight." The fire in my brain sends sparks flying everywhere. I go from one idea to another, jumping around from place to place. Late into the night, my plan is formed and I close my eyes, ready to sleep.

The darkness of the hovercraft engulfs me and I fall into a dark void of nothingness. No thoughts pass through my head. I am, for the first time in years, completely relaxed.

When I wake, there is an intense shake from Leanore and screaming coming from the television. I would recognize the sound of her voice anywhere. A memory of the jabberjay recording comes back to me. There is pain, suffering, utter torture and I know that the voice belongs to Prim.


	14. 14

**A/N: I wanted to let everyone know about something I've been planning to do for awhile now. Before I release the last chapter of this novel, I am going to completely edit the whole thing. I will adjoin chapters and add/delete some scenes. Reading back some of my work, I was not completely satisfied (and what writer truly is?) with all the chapters. Each update I submit is merely the first draft of the chapter it will be when this novel is complete. So, keeping that in mind, read on!**

(14)

I gaze into her eyes. They are open wide with fear. The camera slowly pans out of her face and shows a bit of her surroundings. I'm still confused as to what is going on. Morrison stands behind Prim and grips her shoulders, holding her back from something I can't see. The wails seem to grow louder with each attempt she makes at breaking free of his hold on her.

Then I see what she's desperately trying to reach. It's my mother's frail body. She is lying on the ground on her stomach, but her head is tucked under her chest. A mace is lodged into her shoulder. I struggle to believe that she is still alive, because I haven't seen my mother so immobile since my father left us. I look over to Leanore for confirmation.

I stare at Leanore for a few seconds, my sister weeping in the background, and she eventually turns to look at me. My eyebrows ask the question my lips never want to voice and her head slowly, almost indiscernibly, nods. It takes a while for it to sink in. Somewhere deep down inside of me is a small bit of comfort. I think that my mother died the day my father ran away. The sadness of losing her was more present the first time she slipped away from us. These past few years, she'd risen out of her stupor, but now, she was returning. I can only imagine how my father is reacting.

I watch silently as Prim sobs, my heart breaking more for my sister than for anyone else. She screams and yells out to her, "MOM!" Morrison can no longer handle her struggle and he lets go of her. In an instant, she is at my mother's side, on her knees, combing away the hair from her eyes. I can hardly look at the mace that is in her shoulder.

Blood slowly pours out of the wound, spilling over my sister's hands. She grasps my mother's hand and the cameras cruelly intrude on my sister's goodbye. For a moment, Prim does nothing but hunch over and weep. Then, there is a moan from my mother. Prim stops her tears at once and looks into my mother's eyes.

She struggles through her speech, but soon, my mother utters her last words, "Prim. When all the hurt is over…"

"Yes?" Prim encourages her frantically.

"When all the pain has been endured…"

Prim nods slowly.

"Remember that one day… we will all go home as victors," she smiles and her mouth shuts, her eyes close and my mother falls into a permanent sleep. The cannon sounds.

Prim lets go of my mother's hand and stands up. She hastily wipes away her tears and meets eyes with the other members of the Career Pack. They are all standing in a circle around my mother's fallen body. Peeta and Jamie are bowing their heads in respect. First, she glances at Johanna. She clenches her teeth. Then, she looks at Morrison, who dismisses her feelings by looking away. Peeta gives Prim a small smile. Jamie rushes over and embraces Prim.

"I'm so sorry," he says, holding her tight.

"It's alright though. Katniss wouldn't have wanted me to give up," Prim returns his hug.

Peeta slowly steps over to Prim and the three of them participate in a group hug.

Peeta is the first to speak, "You're the bravest fourteen-year-old I know."

"Thanks," she replies.

The group is quiet for some time.

Finally, the silence is broken by Morrison. "Alright. The moment is over. Let's get hunting before Merrow comes back and kills us."

Johanna, who is perhaps the most unemotional person I know, walks right up over to Morrison and slaps him in the face. I can't believe how insensitive this guy is!

Morrison at first looks stunned that she would hit him. "What?" he acts like a ten year old boy pretending he didn't do something everyone knows he did.

Prim steadies her breathing and Peeta offers to hold her hand as they begin walking. She declines and starts to run in front of the group. "Hold on!" Peeta calls after her. He hands her a small knife. "Take this and make sure you don't run too far ahead so that we can't see you. If you aren't in our sight at all times, something might happen to you and we won't be able to reach you fast enough."

"Alright," she mumbles, taking the dagger and sprinting off ahead of the group. My guess is that she needs some time alone.

I can tell by Peeta's face that he is uncomfortable with letting Prim go on her own. He looks up into the skies and sees clouds beginning to form overhead.

I take this as the perfect time to ask Leanore what happened. Naturally, I want an explanation for my mother's death. She does not disappoint.

"The Careers had decided to change direction, this time, going closer to the stream. They were looking out for some animals to hunt and they didn't see any in the direction they were going. Anyway, they stopped to eat some rolls and drink some water. That's when they heard the scream. Prim knew it was her mother, so she ran toward the sound.

"Annie, Effie and your mother hadn't gotten very far. Your mother was going to get some kind of plant for Effie's burns and she went off on her own while Annie and Effie dropped their packs and rested for a bit. As soon as your mother was alone, Merrow snuck up on her and swung the mace into her shoulder. She just… collapsed. Annie and Effie heard her, but they also heard two pairs of feet running closer to them. So, they just took off. Couldn't risk their lives to go check on her," Leanore finishes.

"Well, didn't Merrow see Prim?" I ask.

"I'm sure he knew that she was coming, but maybe he was hunting someone else. I don't know, but he ran away quick as lightning in the opposite direction from Prim," she sighs. "I'm really sorry, Katniss."

I don't respond for a few seconds. "She was right," I say finally.

"Who?"

"My mother. She was right about what she said. Right before she… died," I state.

"Yes, I suppose so," Leanore trails off and we both redirect our attention to the television.

All of a sudden, there is a burst of lightening and it strikes a tree in front of Johanna. The Mellark boys are trailing slightly behind her. She jumps back and advises them to run. They do so. It doesn't take much time for them to catch up with Prim. She stayed within sight just like Peeta told her.

Suddenly, the drops start pouring. "Rain!" Jamie exclaims, opening his mouth for the drops to satisfy his thirst.

Peeta screams, "No!"

But it's too late. Jamie swallows the liquid and looks woozy for a second. Then, he doubles over and throws up all over the ground. It takes him forever, but eventually, I can't imagine anything could be left in his stomach.

Jamie stands up and looks over at Peeta. "What is that stuff?" He points to the drops falling down.

Peeta seems incredibly relieved that Jamie is still breathing. Then, he touches his already wet clothes and brings a finger to his nose, "It's that Capitol drink that makes you throw up so you can eat more food."

"You mean those glasses they had at the engagement party?" Prim speaks up.

"Yes. Now, don't let any of it get in your mouth. It's meant to make us starve," he announces.

I disagree with him, though. I don't think the drink is just there to make people hungry. The Capitol is trying to throw in everything they can to showcase my rebellion against them. Why? I'm not sure. But between the arena's shape, the berries, the fire and this vomit-inducing rain, I'm beginning to think they are using my rebellion against me.

The sound of the cannon stops my train of thought and I notice the camera is now showing a very elderly woman who must be Thresh's grandmother. She probably starved to death. She lies in her own vomit. Yula's death drops the number of tributes down to fourteen.

Morrison gets into several fights with Prim. Of course, she is defenseless against him, so Jamie defends her every time. Successfully, too. After about three instances, Morrison finally shuts up and leaves Prim alone. Jamie also helps Prim hunt. He helps her set up a trap that captures two rabbits. She refuses to eat her kill.

It's mid afternoon. I haven't seen all of the coverage because Leanore turns it off when I start having intense stomach pains. It seems like every time she turns the television off, the pain gets worse.

"I think we should get you to the hospital wing," she announces.

"No! I'm fine," I assure her. If she takes me to the doctors, they'll strap me down to some chair and I won't be able to get out. They'll stop me from getting to the arena. "Do they even know I'm here?" I say.

"Well…" Leanore sighs, "Not yet."

As the third day unravels, I hardly pay attention. My mind is in another place. I try not to think that tomorrow will be the day that we break into the Games. Tomorrow will probably be the death day for many of my friends. I just don't know what to think about all of this. On one hand, I wanted nothing to do with the rebellion. I just wish it didn't have to come in my lifetime. But on the other hand, I realize that it is a gift. I will probably make history if our country has a future. Not that this matters any to me. It's just a difficult concept to grasp.

There are so many people who I care about, quite a few I'd give my life for. That list begins with Peeta and ends with Leanore, but there are several people in between. I know what I'm doing tomorrow will be wrong. Everyone who will be entering the Games tomorrow never intended for me to come with them. Then I get this feeling like I've wet my pants and I remember why.

I'm very uncomfortable to say the least. Awkwardly, I stand up and say I have to go to the bathroom.

Leanore looks at me funny, "What's wrong? Do you need me to come with you?"

"Uh, no," I bite my lip and furrow my brow at her.

"Well, I think I should come with you anyway," she starts to get up.

"No!" I yell a little too loudly. "I'm fine, really. I'll be right back," I then shuffle out of the room.

I reach the bathroom without seeing anyone. I walk into the stall and lock the door, breathing in deeply. Here we go.

About twenty minutes later, I make my way back to Leanore. I'm surprised she hadn't come looking for me after five minutes away from her. Then I look at the screen. There is an action-packed chase going on between Merrow and Greasy Sae. She uses all her strength to run, weaving in between the trees to help throw him off. Finally, she reaches a clearing and spots the Career Pack. With no other choice left, she runs for them, hoping they can protect her.

"Help!" she yells at them from a distance.

They see her with Merrow right on her tail. She appears to be losing her strength very quickly. Just yards before the Career Pack, Merrow reaches her. The spear pierces her heart. Her body falls in a weird position and Merrow kicks her onto her back, retrieving the bloody spear and wiping it off on a tree.

Morrison has out the group's weapons in an instant. They're one short though.

As Merrow waltzes over to the group, Jamie goes over to Prim, handing a knife to Johanna. "Listen," he whispers in her ear, "As soon as he makes his first move, I want you to run as fast as you can in that direction." He dares to point a finger. "Don't even think twice about us. It's important you get out. Now, get ready." He gives her a pat on the back before returning to his place in line.

Morrison and Jamie take the lead, holding their spears out to Merrow. "Take one more step and you'll be dead before nightfall," Morrison threatens.

"Oh? Is that right?" It's the first time I've heard Merrow speak. His voice is deep and gravelly.

"You want to find out?" Morrison incites him.

"I think so…" Merrow seems to actually be contemplating stepping closer. "Hmm… alright. I guess it's worth a try."

Prim sees him take his step and runs for her life. He lunges at Morrison first. Morrison blocks Merrow's hit easily and with the aid of Jamie, it doesn't take long to get him to the ground. They point their spears at his chest. He quickly flicks them away and jumps back. Peeta and Johanna come up from behind, but Merrow sees them. He swings his swear around his back and my heart stops. It hits Peeta's side and he collapses, head hitting the ground.

Merrow cackles and Johanna drops to the ground to look at Peeta. His breathing is heavy. My heart reaches out to him. I know he's had worse pain. Surely he'll be alright. I promise myself that he will. Johanna places her weapon on the ground and tries to stop the bleeding without success.

"Katniss…" he looks up into the sky, "There's no more hope. I'm coming to see you again."

Morrison manages to hit Merrow, but the pain doesn't make him fall. He counters back and slashes Morrison's right arm. He hits the ground. Jamie looks from Morrison to Merrow with a look of surprise on his face. Then, he fights. He swings at Merrow every chance he gets. I can tell he's not very skilled in combat with weapons. Several times, he tries to knock the spear out of Merrow's hands, but he has no success. Soon, Merrow does that exact thing to him. Jamie's spear goes flying and Jamie backs himself into a tree. Merrow laughs and hits Jamie's skull, apparently knocking him out. Both of Peeta's brothers are on the ground, fallen and defenseless.

Merrow smiles at Johanna. She grabs her knife and is about to fight him when a voice calls out to her. "Johanna! Come quickly!" I see from a distance that it's Prim. Johanna looks from Morrison to Prim. She glares at Merrow and makes a choice. Johanna runs toward my sister.

Merrow turns around in a circle and places his spear at Peeta's chest. It's not a very clear target, so Merrow gets his hands dirty to sit Peeta upright. Then, he smiles and takes a stab. I close my eyes, telling myself that he's alive. He will always be alive. Then I hear the cannon and my heart sinks. Leanore sees me and says, "Katniss, look."

I open up and cannot believe that Jamie is lying in front of Peeta. It looks like threw himself between the spear and his brother. Morrison stands up and Merrow's smile just has time to fade before he drops to the ground, pierced by Morrison's weapon. A second cannon sounds.

There is a brief moment of triumph. Then the horror of the situation sinks in. Morrison rolls Jamie over and yells at him, "Get up Jamie! Come on! We've got to go find Prim and Johanna. Jamie… come on. Don't just lie there!"

Peeta looks over to Jamie and it only takes him one second to assess the damage. "Jamie's dead, Morrison."

"No, Jamie… GET UP! Get up Jamie! Come on! Breathe!" He yells at him hopelessly.

Peeta grabs Jamie's hand and sticks two fingers on it to find a pulse. He releases the hand after a minute without finding one.

Peeta looks at Jamie's face. It is frozen, almost as if he is sleeping. But it's very evident that he is not just sleeping. Jamie Mellark has been murdered. I realize that this could have been Peeta, but Jamie gave his life to save him. If I had a choice of a few people I'd want to get out from the arena, I think Jamie would be on that list. He'd been so kind to my sister, a natural leader, quite independent, but still, at the same time, nurturing. Up until the very end, he was only thinking about what was best for everyone. He knew that no one wanted to see Peeta get killed, so he gave his life with the hope that Peeta would survive.

The pain on Morrison's face is quite palpable. I didn't think it possible that he could be moved by any death, any trouble at all. But as he realizes that his brother is gone, his hard shell cracks. I feel like an intruder watching him have his private mourning.

"Alright. The moment is over. Let's go find Johanna and Prim before they get killed," Peeta says to spite Morrison.

It takes Peeta all his effort to stand up. He takes off his shirt and holds it against his wound. Morrison does the same. Both brothers wave good-bye to Jamie and the hovercraft takes him away. Together, they walk toward the next death.


	15. 15

(15)

The day fades to dusk as the sun sets. Morrison and Peeta do not walk very quickly. I'm sure Peeta is just as upset about Jamie's death as Morrison, but for once, Peeta looks more determined to go on. He leads the way, going in the direction of Prim's voice.

After about twenty minutes, Johanna turns to see Morrison and runs at him. She throws her arms around him, "Morrison, I thought you were dead!"

"Me too," he mumbles.

"Peeta!" Prim dashes over to Peeta and asks, "Wait, where's Jamie?"

Johanna's smile fades.

No one says anything. Morrison and Peeta just hang their heads in silence and the girls figure it out for themselves. They stand like this for a few minutes before Johanna says, "We ran into another girl. I think she's Mayla. She's right over there…" Johanna turns around to point at a vacant rock. Seeing the girl is gone, she searches into the distance and sees a figure running away.

Morrison takes no time to think. He runs after Mayla and Prim follows him. They are the two fastest in the Career Pack. Perhaps that's what Prim showed the Gamemakers during her training session. I had no idea that Prim could run faster than Johanna, and Johanna runs like the wind.

Mayla is not so lucky. Although she had a huge head start, she didn't get very far and it doesn't take long for Morrison to catch up with her. He eventually reaches her and pulls her down by her back. Mayla trips and her hands break her fall. She scrambles onto her back and stares into Morrison's malicious eyes.

"Prim," he calls. "Get over here!"

Prim immediately runs to his side and says, "No, she's fine. I think we should ally with her." She gives him a weird look.

Morrison pauses for a moment and reminds her, "There are eleven of us left. Our Career Pack is four. If we let her in, we'd make up half of the tributes. Sorry, but no." He doesn't seem sorry at all.

"Take care of her, Prim," Morrison nods at my sister.

"What?" Prim questions, raising an eyebrow.

Mayla tries to get up, but Morrison kicks her down with each attempt she makes to stand.

"Finish her off!" he yells.

Prim's eyes widen. She's still holding the knife Jamie gave her. She looks over to Morrison and sees he doesn't have a weapon.

"Where's your spear?" she yells at him.

"It sorta got stuck in Merrow's back. Now, come on. Don't prolong this," he says impatiently.

Mayla meets my sister's eyes. The sweet girl who looks so much like Rue is searching into Prim's heart. My sister looks away from Mayla and back to Morrison.

He motions her to do something and Prim just stays frozen like a rock. "Prim!" he yells and shoves her at Mayla. Prim is startled by the unexpected force. Morrison pushes her just a little too hard. Prim falls to the ground. The knife goes with her. Mayla screams out in pain.

"No!" Prim yells. "No, no, no! What have I done?" She withdraws her hand from the handle of the knife which is now clearly lodged in Mayla's neck. The wound is in a place I doubt anyone could survive with.

Mayla moans and stares at Prim. Prim flips around to Morrison. "How could you this? We've got to do something for her. Don't you have any medicine?"

Morrison slowly walks over to Mayla as Prim babbles on.

"Come on! There must be some medicine in one of her packs," she frantically stands up, searching through the bags Mayla dropped during her fall.

Morrison says nothing and drops to Mayla's level. Prim watches in silence. He gently wraps his fingers around the handle and removes the blade from her neck.

Prim sighs, "Oh, thank God! Now, don't you think we should-"

The cannon booms just as Morrison thrusts the end back into her wound. He claps his hands together and wipes off a drop of blood. His job is done.

Prim screams in horror. "Morrison!" She stares at him with a look of disgust, her eyes welling over in fresh tears. Without another word, she turns and runs away, back to Peeta and Johanna.

Leanore sighs. "Hold on, I'll be right back. I've got to get your dinner."

"Ok," my eyes stay glued to the television, but my thoughts go elsewhere. Seeing Mayla die reminds me of Rue's death. Her small fragile body is just laying there on the ground, completely lifeless. Then, the hovercraft takes her away in the same way it took away Rue.

Morrison just stands there for a few minutes before running back to find the other members of the Career Pack. I must say, I do understand him a little bit more after Jamie's death. He's been through some really hard times in the past few months, everyone has, but he takes out his frustration in a different way than Peeta. Morrison channels his anger through destruction. Hitting the tree, taking down branches, murdering helpless children; Morrison is a wreck.

He finally meets Johanna and she avoids him, tending to Prim's sorrow. Peeta gives Morrison a harsh glance. "Hey, I know you're upset, Prim, but do you think you can fix my wound?" Peeta asks gently, rubbing her back.

She sniffles, "Yes, of course." She goes over to a large tree and rips off some moss from the trunk. Then she tends to Peeta by placing the moss on his cut.

Johanna and Morrison quietly observe as Prim's small hands do their work. Soon enough, Peeta is treated and she prescribes him to lie down and rest for awhile. She takes one look at Morrison's arm and grabs some more moss for his injury.

"Thanks a lot, Prim. You know, this really hurts," he says grumpily.

"I know," she says, but instead of helping him apply the moss, she just tosses it to him. "Fix it yourself."

Johanna smirks and gives Morrison one of her looks. "Thanks for your help, Johanna," he says.

"Mmmm, you're welcome," she says as she walks away.

Just then, Leanore comes back in the room with a tray of food. The smell of sweet chicken teriyaki fills the room. "Special treat tonight," Leanore gives me a warm smile.

"Smells good," I comment.

She hands me the tray and sits back in another chair, facing away from the television. I'm alarmed by how intently she watches as I bring a bite of chicken to my mouth. She leans forward in her chair as I open to take a bite. The top of the chicken gently touches the roof of my mouth and I realize it's too hot to eat just yet. That's when I realize something is wrong. The way Leanore is acting right now is very off considering her actions of the past few days.

"Eat up!" She calls over to me.

When she says this, it hits me. Tomorrow, there cannot be any chance of me getting into the arena. Therefore, why not just let me sleep it all away? I place the chicken back down onto the plate, carefully. Then, I stand up and bring the tray back over to Leanore.

"It's too hot," I complain.

"Oh," she says. "Maybe you should blow on it."

"Hmm… can you do it?" I hold the chicken to her mouth. She goes slightly cross-eyed.

"Umm…" that is the last thing she says before I shove the chicken into her mouth and force it down her throat.

I laugh slightly, because I was correct. This "special" meal had a dose of sleeping medicine in it. Leanore immediately falls asleep.

Gale's brothers are now the center of attention. I return to the bed and watch as they converse. In the corner of the screen is a small white flower. Vick notices it first. "That's weird," he says, "I haven't seen any flowers in this arena the whole time!"

"Me neither," Rory says. Rory and Vick don't really resemble their brother that much. They look like him, but you'd never guess from the way they act that they are related to Gale. Gale is rough and tough around the edges while Rory and Vick are too sweet. Vick leads Rory over to the flower and he picks it up in his hands. Immediately, the flower wilts.

"Look, there's another one!" Rory points to another spot, farther away from the stream. He runs after it and picks it up. That flower also dies.

"I have a bad feeling about these flowers, Rory," Vick says, slowly taking a step backward, letting the wilted flower drop out of his grasp. Time seems to freeze. I watch as the flower slowly falls to the ground and then, it explodes. Vick falls backwards and Rory comes running, the flower still in his hand.

"Vick!" Rory screams. He tosses his flower into the stream and bubbles form at the surface. There is no large explosion like before.

Vick coughs and Rory helps him sit up.

"I can't breathe," Vick says with a rasp in his voice.

Rory's mouth just hangs agape as he watches his brother struggle for air. "Come on Vick. Breathe! Breathe, Vick!"

But Vick does not breathe. Another cannon sounds.

I try not to watch as Rory holds his dead brother in his hands, the smoke and ashes filling the air. When the hovercraft comes for his body, Rory holds onto him, yelling, "No! You can't take him! He's not dead! Don't take my brother…"

The Capitol is hard and unfeeling. The claws pry his body away from the shaking Rory. As soon as the hovercraft has cleared out, the sky lets loose more flowers. They come falling down in heaps and Rory tries to run for it. But there are too many. The flowers keep exploding, this time, almost on impact with the ground. He survives for a few minutes, dodging the explosions, but in the end, it is pointless. The smoke fills the air and it enters his lungs, stealing his life from him. A second cannon sounds.

I feel guilty for Rory and Vick's deaths. It takes some time for me to realize that the Capitol has once again used my rebellion against me. When Rue died, I covered her in flowers as an act of defiance against her death. But now, the Capitol has used flowers to kill Gale's brothers.

When the cameras return to the Career Pack, the night show has already begun. The first face in the sky is Jamie Mellark. Then my mother's face replaces his. When I see Mayla, I swear it is Rue's face in the sky. They look identical. Merrow still has that stupid smirk on his face. I hope he enjoyed dying. Rory, Greasy Sae, Vick and Thresh's grandmother are the rest of the casualties for the day.

I just hope the Gamemakers don't kill anyone else tomorrow. Only eight people remain. The final eight. There won't be any interviews this year. Of course, the people in the Capitol must be thinking it strange that the Career Pack hasn't gone and killed each other yet. I'm sure the blood-thirsty citizens are expecting Morrison to kill Prim first. Besides the four of them, only Annie, Cinna, Effie and Mr. Mellark remain. I can't believe how many people are dead.

Johanna looks over at Morrison once the sky fades to black again. "I think it's time to split up," she says in a small voice.

"Who? You and me?" he replies, whispering.

"No… us from them," she moves her head in the direction of Peeta and Prim who are far enough away to not hear Johanna and Morrison's conversation.

"He's my brother," Morrison furrows his brow.

"Yes, but there can only be one winner. Do you want to have to kill him?"

"No…"

"Then let's go!" she grabs some food from Prim's pack and a Morrison's hand. "Slow poke! Let's get going before they notice." She tugs on him repeatedly.

"Alright," he says.

Morrison takes one last look at his brother. Then, he runs away, holding onto Johanna's hand. They run for fifteen minutes. Johanna stops and places her pack down. "Morrison," she lets go of his hand. "What are we going to do?" She wraps her arms around his neck. "One or both of us is going to die."

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," he says, motioning her to sit down. She leans her back against a tree and places her head on his shoulder. He whispers something in her ear.

"Good plan," she says with a small smile.

I don't like where this is going, so I take the remote and turn the television off. I almost put my head on the pillow when I realize I can't fall asleep in this room. In fact, I shouldn't fall asleep at all. I can't risk having Haymitch come in and make sure I stay. I must get into the arena. I slip out of bed and walk out of the room.

The lights are blaring in the hallway. My guess is that this hovercraft doesn't sleep. I walk around for awhile before finding a small closet that isn't locked. Nothing is in the closet but stacks of paper. I doubt anyone would need paper tonight, so I slip inside. I try to keep my eyes open, but I cannot avoid sleep. Sitting down on a box of paper, I fall asleep.

I awake to the sound of chaos.


	16. 16

**A/N: Thanks to Allikirby2!!!**

(16)

The screams seep into my ears and consume my entire brain capacity. All thoughts of my escape plan are covered by the continuous call of "Katniss!" My eyes flash open and search for light. The only source is coming from the small crack under the door. I don't dare turn on the light in the closet, but I do risk opening the door slightly to get a peak of the commotion that is going on right outside.

I don't see anyone, but by the volume of the voices, I guess that my pursuers are near. I recognize the voice of Finnick. It is nice to hear him again. For a second, I almost let my thoughts wander, but then I catch myself and channel them back to my plan.

I wait for a few minutes and the voices grow more distant. Very carefully, I open the door and pear out both sides. The hallway is empty. I bite my tongue and suffer another contraction. All through the night I've been having really bad stomach pains. After each one I managed to fall asleep again, but they really made the night miserable. I realize I should be timing how close they are together, but I really don't want to bother. My baby will come when it's ready.

They rescue squad is not entering the arena until four in the afternoon, so the first thing I do is find a clock. It's six in the morning now. "Katniss?" I hear from just around the corner. I know that it's my father. I slip into the nearest room and lock the door from the inside. The room is empty, but I see that it has been used within the past few hours. I slowly walk over to a table in the center of the room and examine the plans that have been carelessly left scattered over the tabletop.

My heart starts beating quickly when I note that they are codes for things to happen in the arena. These papers must belong to Beetee or Plutarch. I'm afraid their owner is near, so I wait a minute before leaving the room the same way I came. It's such a relief my father is gone.

"Ah, there you are," a voice says from the end of the hallway.

My heart sinks. I've been caught. I turn around to face a very tall, skinny woman with curly black hair and jet black eyes. They pierce me in a strange way.

"Katniss," she smiles and motions me over to her. Do I really have any choice but to follow her?

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Jezarra Jutlet," she extends her hand for me to shake it.

"Jezarra?" I repeat to make sure I have the pronunciation correct.

"Yes. Now, you're trying to get into the arena, aren't you?" Jezarra questions.

I shouldn't lie, "Yeah. I am."

"So you can see Peeta and Prim, right?"

"Yep," I exhale.

"You do realize that you are extremely pregnant, right?"

"Um, yes…"

"And you understand that you could give birth in a few hours if you're having contractions right now?"

"How'd you know I was having contractions?" This lady seems like she knows everything.

"I have six children," she replies, "so I can tell when someone winces, the way you just did now, that they are having contractions."

"Ok," I raise my eyebrow at her.

"And you still want to go into the arena?" she returns my glance.

I nod.

"Be my guest," she says, laughing at me. "You're such a brave girl."

"I know," I can't believe she's just going to let me go.

"You want me to let you in now?"

Now this gets my attention. Didn't she get some kind of rule to keep me on the hovercraft?

"Who are you?" I ask again.

"I already said. I'm Jezarra Jutlet."

"Yes, but who _are _you?"

"I'm the hovercraft's main doctor."

"And you're just going to set me loose into an arena where the Gamemakers can unleash anything and kill me in an instant while I'm hours away from birth?" The idea is improbable.

"I'm also a psychologist," she touches my shoulder. "Now come on. Let's get this baby born."

Reverse psychology. What she's just done may actually save my life.

I follow her into the hospital wing and she lies me down on a bed. Other doctors surround me and try to say things but I don't really listen. At first, it isn't so bad, but then the contractions get closer together and more powerful. Jezarra holds my hand for awhile before I begin to give birth. It's the scariest feeling in the world. The only thing I can say is that the pain is unreal.

"Come on, Katniss, you can do it!" Jezarra keeps yelling at me. She's telling me to breathe in and breathe out. So all I do is concentrate on my breathing. In… out… in… out. It continues on like this for what seems like hours.

And then, it's over.

I lay my head back on the pillow and Jezarra says with jubilee, "Katniss!"

I moan in response.

First, I hear the cry. The sound of a newborn baby. A wail I thought I'd never hear. The joy of it is that it's my baby. My very own. Next, Jezarra announces, "It's a girl!"

I feel my heart miss two beats. "A girl?" I manage. "Lemme see 'er!" I put out my arms.

Jezarra carefully hands me my sweet baby girl. "Oh my goodness," I whisper. I take note of all her features. She has one wisp of black hair on the top of her head and Peeta's dazzling blue eyes. Her face looks just like his. Their noses are the same shape and size in proportion. Their eyes are the same shape. Their mouths are also identical in shape. The one thing that represents me is her hair. Maybe her ears are like mine, too. I stare at Peeta's female replica thinking about the miracle of her birth. Holding her gives me a sense of warmth, in fact, I almost forget the pain. Then, it sinks back in as Jezarra takes my daughter away.

"You have a name for her?" Jezarra gives me a warm smile.

"No," I quiver, "I want Peeta's opinion."

"Oh, alright," Jezarra's smile fades.

"When are they coming?"

"Well, the rescue crew just went into the arena," she starts to wrap my baby in warm clothes.

"Are they still broadcasting the Games?" I wonder aloud.

"No. Plutarch shut off the cameras," she finishes my daughter's bundle and hands her back to me. The warm feeling of security returns.

For awhile I just stare at her, trying to think of what to call her. Then, there is a loud noise over the hovercraft intercom. "One tribute has been secured. I repeat: one tribute has been secured."

"Who is it?" I ask, touching my baby's face.

"You want to find out?" Jezarra turns to go get something.

"Yes, please," I say, calling out in her direction.

"Alright, come on," Jezarra brings in a wheelchair and she helps me into it. It takes so much effort just to move. I cradle my daughter in my arms.

She wheels me around for awhile and the hovercraft intercom returns. "Two tributes have been secured."

Jezarra finally comes to a hallway where the "secured" tributes are. It's Annie and Effie. Both are filthy so Jezarra makes sure they stay ten feet away from my baby.

"Oh my goodness, Katniss. You're alive? And you have a baby?" Effie squeals and jumps around. "I've never been happier!"

Sometimes I can't believe Effie. She just got out of a dangerous arena and she's covered in dirt. Plus I bet she still has some pretty bad burns. But somehow, this is the happiest she's ever been.

Annie looks from my feet to my face, inspecting me for the first time. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you Miss Everdeen."

"Mrs. Mellark," I correct her.

"Uh, yeah, Mrs. Mellark," she looks away from me.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Cresta," I give her a funny smile.

"Well if you want to get technical with me and the last name situation, I should be Mrs. O'Dair. But I don't really care enough to correct you," she shifts from foot to foot.

"How'd you get here?" I ask Effie who is taking off her shoes.

"Your cousin helped us in," she winks at me. "Can I get cleaned?" Effie asks Jezarra.

"Be my guest. The bathroom is over there. Go take a shower," she points down the hall.

"Thank you," Effie awkwardly walks over to the bathroom.

The three of us wait quietly. I hear water start to hiss as Effie turns on the shower. Then, the door to the outside of the hovercraft opens and Johanna and Morrison come in accompanied by my father.

At first, they look all happy to be saved. Morrison is carrying Johanna in his arms. Then, she spots me and screams, "Katniss! Oh my God!"

Morrison puts her down and Johanna comes running to me. Jezarra cuts her off explaining about the baby. Morrison just stares at me, taking in the fact that I'm alive. My father looks alarmed for a minute about me being on the hovercraft and he only gets a small peak at his grandchild before he disappears out of the hovercraft again.

Johanna seems to have changed a little bit. I suspect Morrison has done it to her. Somehow, his quiet and moody ways have brought out the life in her. She says my baby is beautiful. Morrison steps up behind Johanna and says his first words to me, "So this is why Peeta's so fat."

I raise my eyebrows and say, "Fat? Peeta's not fat."

"Sympathetic pregnancy weight," Morrison says with intelligence.

"Uh, Morrison, you idiot! The father has to be with the mother during the pregnancy to gain weight. He sees her eating more, so he does the same. Peeta just wouldn't gain weight randomly because Katniss did!" Johanna rolls her eyes at him.

"Oh," he frowns at me. "I know you don't know me," Morrison says, "but I know a lot about you. For the past ten years, I've heard nothing but 'Katniss, Katniss, Katniss' from my brother. It's actually sorta of obnoxious that I know your ears aren't pierced."

"How'd you know that?" I ask him.

"Peeta said in 8th Grade that all the girls in his class wore earrings for picture day except for you. He said that he thought you were more beautiful than all the other girls anyway. You didn't need earrings to make you look pretty," Morrison recollects.

"Really?" a small tear forms at the bottom of my eye.

"Yeah, and he-"Morrison is cut off by the door opening.

Coming in through the doorway is Cinna and Finnick. When Annie sees Finnick, she screams and runs for him. They call out each other's names and when they meet, it's rather disgusting to watch their interaction. I look away to give them some privacy. Johanna and Jezarra do the same, but Morrison watches and yells at them, "For goodness sakes, get a room!" Finnick and Annie do just that. They run away from the group and Morrison rolls his eyes at them. Cinna shakes off this awkward experience and steps around Morrison, who was blocking his view of me.

"Katniss?" Cinna sees me and can't believe his eyes. "Oh my goodness, it's you!" The flecks of gold in his eyes twinkle.

"Cinna!" I call out to him, "I'm so glad you're alright." I wish I could give him a hug. Just then the continuous hiss of water stops. Effie is finished with her shower. Johanna mumbles something about taking a shower and leaves for the bathroom.

"I thought you had died," he lowers his voice.

"No," I smile and show him my baby.

Another announcement is made and the door opens. Haymitch leads in Prim. When I see the joy in the face of my sister, her blond hair rippling as she runs toward me, I lose all my worries.

Jezarra takes my baby and lets Prim hug me. I hold her face in my hands and kiss her forehead, hugging her to no end. "Katniss," she whispers. "I thought…"

"Yeah, I know. You thought I was dead," I say.

"I did," she starts to cry.

"You thought dad was dead too," I wrap my arms around her back and pat it.

"Dad is dead," she chokes on her words.

I stop patting her and hold her out at arm's distance. I look her in the eyes with a smile and say, "No, he's not."

"What?!" she yells.

"He escaped to District 13," I explain.

She lets go of me and jumps for joy. "Really?"

"Yes," I can't stop smiling. Maybe what Leanore said was right. Maybe everything _will _be alright.

"Whose baby is that?" she points to my daughter.

"Peeta's and mine," I say.

"What?!" she yells again.

"Yes. I'm waiting for him to come so I can name her. Now go wash up and you can hold her," I shoo her into the bathroom and she runs to quickly wash her hands.

Then I hear Haymitch's voice call out to someone outside the hovercraft, "Come on, lover boy. We don't have all day."

Lover boy. Peeta steps on the hovercraft. Everyone backs out of the path between us. He sees me.

I can't describe what it feels like to hear him call my name, to see him go through the process of not understanding to processing I'm alive, to feel him hold me again. He puts his arms around me and we kiss for the first time in forever. The feeling starts at my lips and searches all the way down to my toes. It's like a fire. It spreads rapidly, destroying all other emotions but happiness. It engulfs my soul. He stops kissing me and asks, "How the heck did you gain forty thousand pounds?"

"First," our noses touch, "kiss me like that again." He does as I ask. "Now, look up to your right."

He looks up and sees the baby. The pieces begin to fit together, but incorrectly. "You and Gale? Seriously?"

"Peeta, seriously? You think that's Gale's daughter?" I kiss him again.

He looks at the baby for a second time and notes her features.

He pauses for a long moment then looks back at me. "That's… _our_ daughter?"

I nod.

For a moment, he just stares into the distance and then he looks back at me. "Katniss… this is… this is great!"

He kisses me one more time. "Can I hold her?"

"Go wash your hands," I reply.

He gives me the warmest smile possible and heads to the bathroom at the same time that Prim is coming out.

"Katniss, she's the most beautiful baby in the world," Prim sticks her finger in my daughter's mouth.

"Thank you," I smile at her.

Gale comes into the hovercraft and takes a look at my baby. "Very nice," she says.

Haymitch is the next back. My father shortly follows. "We have to leave," he runs toward another part of the hovercraft and Haymitch goes after him.

"Leave?" I ask. "Mr. Mellark isn't here yet."

Gale gives me one of his looks, "I'm sorry, Katniss. He didn't make it."

"Oh," part of my happiness diminishes.

Morrison seems too shocked to say anything. He disappears into another room.

When Peeta returns, he takes the baby from Prim and touches her face. "You haven't named her, right?"

"No, I wanted to save that for us to decide," I say as he hands her back to me.

"I don't want you to think that I thought about this too much, but when I told the world that we were having a baby, I thought of names just in case I had to say something in public," he says. "Every one of us rebelled in some way. Haymitch rebelled by using part of the Games to win. Cinna rebelled by making that mockingjay dress for you. You rebelled, of course, by threatening to eat those berries. So I thought of a way I could rebel. Our daughter's name can have a meaning."

"What do you think of the name Revelyn?" he asks me.

"What does it mean?" I look into his eyes.

"Rebellion."

"Then that's just perfect," I take my daughter from him.

"Revelyn Rue Mellark," he says, kissing my head.


	17. 17

(17)

"The trackers have been deactivated," Plutarch announces as he hops on the hovercraft. "Go, go, go!" He yells over the intercom. All of sudden, there is a jolt and I feel the hovercraft leave the ground and rise into the air.

"Where's Beetee?" I ask Plutarch who is running wildly back and forth down the hallway.

"He's still keeping the shield down," Plutarch explains.

"Is he coming back? Are we picking him up?" I ask.

"No," Plutarch replies, turning a corner. He disappears in the same direction as Haymitch and my father.

"Katniss, I'm going to go get my tracker removed, ok?" Peeta says, grabbing my hand.

"Alright," I say.

Jezarra speaks up, "You know, you need some rest Miss, er, Mrs. Mellark. One doesn't give birth every day."

Peeta turns around. "Mrs. Mellark?" he chuckles lightly.

"Yeah," I smile. "As Leanore says, I'm just trying to be closer to you."

"Who's Leanore?" he asks, starting to head down the hallway with Jezarra, Revelyn and me.

"Me."

I turn around to see Leanore standing at the end of the hallway. She's got a small smirk on her face. "Oh, had the baby then, did you Katniss?"

"Yes."

She comes running for me and gives me a hug, "I'm so glad you're ok. So, let me see Mellibelle!"

A laugh escapes my lips as I catch a glimpse of Peeta's raised eyebrows. "Leanore, meet Revelyn Rue."

"Revelyn Rue?" she repeats. "That's a beautiful name. Isn't Rue a type of flower?"

"Yes," I answer. "She's also the female tribute from District 11 that I buried with flowers in the 74th Hunger Games."

"Oh, yes, I remember that. You really cared about her, didn't you?" Leanore asks.

"Very much," I drop my gaze and then look up over at Peeta. "And Peeta, you knew that. That's why you made her middle name Rue, right?"

"Of course. Her name is something significant to both of us," he looks over to Leanore. "It's nice to meet you Leanore."

"Pleasure to finally meet you too, Mr. Mellark," she says shaking his hand.

Jezarra and Peeta walk ahead and I whisper to Leanore, "So, does this mean we're cool with the sleeping medicine."

Leanore laughs, "Yes. We're 'cool.'" She gives me a small pat on the back and helps push me back to the hospital wing.

Jezarra takes Revelyn and puts her in a basket. She then carefully rolls me into a room so I can rest. Revelyn comes with me. I lay down on the bed and Jezarra says, "Time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," I say.

"No, not you," she laughs at me a little. "Your baby is hungry."

I raise my eyebrow and look at Revelyn who is starting to cry.

Jezarra doesn't think I understand what this means. "Katniss, the baby gets milk from their mother."

I nod, "Alright, let's get this over with." I won't explain what happened during Revelyn's first feeding. I'll just say, at first it wasn't going so well, but it got much better towards the end. Eventually, Revelyn finishes and Jezarra puts her in my arms. I drift away into a peaceful sleep.

When I wake up again, Jezarra is gone and Revelyn is hungry again. As I feed her, I think about the rescue today. I must say it went very well, in fact, it went almost too well. Either everything went exactly as planned, or something is going on that I don't know about. I never expect anything in my life to go exactly as planned, so I decide to ask Haymitch the next time he sees me.

When the door opens, I've just finished feeding Revelyn. It's quite a surprise to see my father standing in the entryway.

"Hello there, Katniss," he says walking up to the bed.

"Hi," I say simply.

"I know you're probably not in the mood for talking right now, but I just wanted to meet my granddaughter," he extends his hand to touch her head.

"You want to hold her?" I offer, holding her up to his hands.

He takes her and smiles. "Has anyone told you how pretty she is?" he asks.

"Yes, a lot of people," I reply.

"It's something about the eyes. They twinkle, I think."

For a few minutes, we are both quiet. I give my father some time to bond with the newest member of our family. That's when it hits me. My mother has died. All this time, my father had been hoping to get back to my mother, to rescue her, to be with the one he loves again. Now, she is someplace else, a place neither he nor I can reach right now. Our small family has been split up again before it even got back together.

"I'm sorry about mom," I say.

"She's in a better place now, Katniss," he sighs. "Besides, in her place is something I'd never expected to have: a grandchild. You have given me the greatest gift in the world. I thank you for that."

"What's today's date?" I ask him. I want to make sure her birth is recorded somewhere.

"I believe it is March 18th," he answers. "What's her name?" he asks, stroking her head.

"Revelyn. Her name has a meaning. It means rebellion. Revelyn Rue Mellark," I answer him.

"That's the sweetest name I've ever heard. You're a spark, you know that?" he looks at Revelyn giving her a big smile.

She just stares back at him, trying to take in this new strange man.

"How is Revelyn a spark?" I wonder aloud.

"She is just another spark to the fire of rebellion. One more thing to keep the people rebelling, to help the Capitol understand the cruelty of their actions, to stop the Hunger Games and to set you free," he hands her back to me.

I take her in my hands and stare at my spark. I take a minute to thank God for the baby and for Peeta and Prim's safe return. Then I look back at her. Her eyes twinkle, just like my father said. My father mumbles something about letting me rest and then leaves the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

I fall back asleep with Revelyn in my arms.

When I wake again, Leanore and Jezarra are standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Katniss, you're up!" Leanore says, coming over to me.

"Good," Jezarra says. "Are you hungry?" she asks me.

"A little," I reply.

"Well, let's get you some food," she looks over to Leanore who scrambles out of the room, probably to get me something to eat.

"How are you feeling?" Jezarra puts her hand to my head to check my temperature.

"Fine," I answer.

"Excellent. How's the baby been?"

"Great," I say.

"Wonderful," she replies.

"Superb," I counter.

"Splendid."

"Marvelous!"

"Brilliant!"

I laugh and so does Jezarra. Sometimes you need something like that to make you feel better. "How's Peeta?" I ask her.

"He's just fine. Just taking a rest now, I hear," she answers.

"When can I see him?"

"Probably tomorrow," she responds just as Leanore is coming in the room with some food for me. "Now remember, eat slowly," Jezarra coaches me.

"Alright," I say as I take a small bite of toast.

Leanore and Jezarra sit down on the bed and watch me eat.

After awhile, I ask my question, "I confused. I thought that it seemed a little too easy to just get everyone out of the arena. Is there something else going on?"

Jezarra sighs. "I don't know. You'd have to ask someone else about that. Maybe Haymitch."

"Ask me what?" A voice says from outside the door. Sure enough, I look into the entryway and Haymitch is standing there, staring at me.

"What's going on?" I ask him simply.

"We're going back to District 13. There we have to prepare for the war," he answers.

"War? What war?"

"The war of rebellion against President Snow. Us versus them," says Haymitch.

"When will it be? Where will it be?" I toss out questions.

"I can't say yet. Only time will tell," he replies. "Now if that's your only question, I just wanted to have a word with Leanore for a moment."

Leanore gets off the bed and quickly walks over to Haymitch. They disappear behind the door and Haymitch shuts it.

"Go back to sleep Katniss," Jezarra says, taking my half-finished meal away from me.

I do as she says. I wake up a few times to feed Revelyn, but other than that, I get a peaceful night's sleep. When I wake up for breakfast, I feel much better than yesterday. Jezarra is gone and Leanore brings me my food again. As I eat some more toast, I ask Leanore, "Can I please see Peeta?"

"Sure," she says, giving me a warm smile. "I'll go get him."

She leaves and I eat my breakfast quickly. The thought of getting to spend some time alone with Peeta for the first time in so many months is very appealing.

He comes in and smiles at me. "Katniss," he says, climbing into bed.

"Peeta," I respond.

"This is our baby?" he asks in disbelief.

"Yes," I say, handing him Revelyn. "She looks so much like you."

"She does," he says, "except for the hair." That laugh that melts my heart fills the room.

"I never expected this," I say.

"Expected what?" Peeta asks.

"I never expected us to have a child," I look at him.

"Well, neither did I, Katniss. I hoped for it. But, never expected," he places Revelyn in her basket, putting it on the floor of the room.

"I have to tell you something," I say biting my lip.

He stares at me, not replying, just waiting for me to speak my mind.

And so I tell him for the first time, for real.

"I love you."

Peeta smiles and whispers, "I love you too."

We remain quiet for awhile, staring into each other's eyes. He slowly puts his arm around me and brings me closer to him. I feel his warmth for the first time in ages. It is a familiar, wonderful feeling. He holds me for a very long time and I think we start to drift off to sleep.

Before I fall into this sleep, I look into his eyes. He is still half-awake as well, so I sit up. I turn around to face him and he puts his hands on my shoulders. Slowly, I lean my face into his. My lips just brush against his when the scream of our baby interrupts the moment. Peeta exhales and smiles. I notice a smile cracks my lips as well. He lifts Revelyn out of her basket, handing her to me. I feed her and Peeta watches in fascination.

"You know, you really do make a fine mother," Peeta says, staring at Revelyn.

"Hey! This is my second day," I say in defense.

"No, I'm serious," he puts his arm back around me. "You seem to treat her gently and by the way you look at her, I can tell you care a lot about her."

"And what of you? Are you a good father? How am I to assess that?" I throw questions at him.

"I don't know. Maybe you should observe my interactions with her. You should be able to tell by that," he says.

"She's rather quiet, don't you think? At least for a baby. I expected more crying," I ask as Revelyn finishes her feeding.

"It depends on the baby, really. I don't have much experience with children," he says taking her from me again, "but I do think that she is very observant. She doesn't really want to cry."

"She doesn't _want_ to cry? As if she has the choice to cry or not?" I say with a slight touch of frustration.

"Yes. Of course she has a choice," says Peeta, touching her nose.

I watch him with her, taking careful notice that he is gentle with her, just like me. "I'm tired," I announce with any thought. It was an involuntary line, but yet, so true. I feel like I could sleep for a whole week.

"You rest," he says, "I'd like some time to bond with Revelyn."

This strikes me as sweet. I realize right then just how much I've missed Peeta. He really couldn't get any nicer if he tried. The way he talks to me when he does the whole love 'act' (which was never really an act) is more charming than anything Gale could say. I guess he gets it from a combination of his way with words and overall cute appearance. Cute. Not a word I would ever use to describe any man but Peeta.

That's when I remember that Peeta is my husband. Or rather, Peeta should be my husband. "I think we should get married," I blurt out.

"Formally, you mean?" he asks.

I think about this for a moment and decide, "No. Just with a few witnesses. Nothing big. I just want it to happen; otherwise it's not quite official."

"Alright. Now, sleep," he commands me. I'm content to be in his arms again.

When I wake yet again, Peeta has placed Revelyn back in her basket. He sees me open my eyes and asks if I need anything. I shake my head and he gets up out of bed, stretching his legs. "We need to discuss the rebellion," he says flatly.

"Rebellion… right," I say.

"Unless you're too tired still?" he raises an eyebrow at me.

I yawn and stretch out my arms, "No, it's fine."

"Basically, there will be a war between the Capitol and the rebels," he explains.

"Yes. That's exactly what Haymitch told me," I reply.

"We'll need all the help from the other Districts we can get. The problem is transportation. District 13 doesn't have many hovercrafts, but the ones we do have _are_ pretty large. I'm still slightly confused about what we're going to do, though," he touches his toes several times.

For once, I actually feel in on the plan. Now that my pregnancy is no longer an issue, I can be more involved with the rebellion. "When are we meeting to discuss this?" I ask him.

"Probably sometime right after we arrive," he replies.

"Then let's not worry about it until then. We have plenty of days to be worried. While we're still on the hovercraft, let's just try to relax, ok?" I say.

"Ok," he replies.

"This is exciting, though," I admit.

"What is?" he asks with a look of confusion on his face.

"The whole rebellion. It will be exciting to see how if unfolds. I'm starting to believe that everything really is going to be alright. The rebel side definitely has more supporters, so maybe we stand a chance," I feel something in my heart that resembles hope.

"We do stand a chance," Peeta says with finality.

"We can win," I realize.

"We can live."


	18. 18

(18)

The hovercraft lands in District 13 before I know it. Peeta faithfully remains at my side as they take us off the ship. We all block the exit and are talking very loudly, all about different things. The hallway is very congested. Jezarra takes Revelyn, saying that she will bring her to my father's house. Apparently, District 13 has planned a celebration for our safe return. I try not to concentrate on the fact that we lost Beetee in the process and that the mission only rescued seven people.

Haymitch's loud voice fills the hall we are all waiting in. "Listen up!" he yells and everyone dutifully closes their mouths. "Get in a single file line. We are going to be marching down the square and there will be a procession for our bravery, blah, blah, blah. Remember you are the chief rebels and the people outside these doors are depending on you. So, please, just retain some sort of composure," I can tell by the way he is talking that he is frustrated. I don't know why, though.

We form the line and Haymitch comes over to me, tapping on my shoulder. "How are you holding up? Do you think you can stand for awhile?"

Under normal circumstances, I would have been fine standing for any amount of time, but since I just gave birth two days ago, I don't know if I can handle it.

Peeta answers before I have a chance to say anything, "Maybe we should get her a chair or something."

"Or she could just go back to rest," Haymitch gives me a weird glance.

I get the feeling that something is going on that I don't know about. I'm very accustomed to this feeling by now, but it is still very awkward when I get it.

"I'll be fine," I say, not understanding why Haymitch is making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Ok," says Haymitch, giving me that weird glance again before turning to stalk off down the hallway.

"What was that about?" I ask Peeta.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," is his response. "That's the problem with us now," he adds.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone is really uptight about this whole war that it seems like everything is a big deal. Of course all of District 13 wants you to be at the celebration, but you might not be able to participate. I know you must be really tired. I mean, look at you. Look at your eyes," says Peeta.

I pause to think about this. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I am in pain. But if the district wants to see me, it wouldn't be a good idea to disappoint. I conclude this and say, "Really, Peeta, I'm fine."

He raises his eyebrows, "Uh, I don't think so."

I look at him, really _look_ at him, for the first time since he was rescued. His blond hair is all messed up with a strand covering part of his right eye. His brows are furrowed, not understanding what I've said. His blue eyes are darker now. Peeta looks genuinely concerned about me.

"Peeta," I say, taking his hand. His hands are soft. They have no calluses like Gale's hands. These hands have done everything from frosting cakes to threatening to kill with a knife. Slowly, I bring his hand up to my lips, never breaking his gaze. I kiss it and say, "I'll be fine."

His face changes expression. The look of concern is wiped off his face and is immediately replaced by the smile that melts my heart. "Katniss," Peeta mumbles, taking my other hand. "I don't know what to say," he stares into my eyes.

"Then don't say anything," I let go of his hand and brush away the hair from his eye.

He puts his free hand on my face and pulls me closer to him.

"Let's go!" I hear Haymitch's voice again and groan. Yet another moment between Peeta and me has been interrupted.

Peeta laughs off his bit of irritation towards Haymitch. He releases me and we fall back into our single file line.

The doors to District 13 open and everyone files out. Just as instructed, we begin to march down the square in our line with Haymitch leading. Peeta walks behind me and Johanna is in front.

Mayor Bauer has a microphone and stands on a platform in the center of the square. "My dear rebels and people of District 13, we are victorious!" This really gets the crowd going. I don't think I've ever heard such uproar. I feel Peeta grab my hand again. He gives it a reassuring squeeze. We are victorious. Yes, in a way. The Games were shut down and some of the tributes were rescued, but still, so many innocent people have died for no reason. We are not yet victorious in the way I wish we were.

"I propose we have a celebration!" the Mayor continues once the excitement has died down. This only makes it start again. "But first," he manages to speak over the shouts, "let us take some time to honor the tributes present with us today and the tributes who have passed."

The crowd manages to return to silence, probably only out of sympathy for those who have died.

"First, the tributes that have been lost: Darius McFinley," he says.

I bow my head.

"Enobaria Werston. Flavius Porter. Jamie Mellark."

At the mention of Jamie, a small tear forms in my eye. I hold on tightly to Peeta's hand and turn slightly to look at him. Yes, he is upset, but he also seems to have accepted Jamie's death. I know that if Prim died, there would be no way I could recover so quickly.

"Lisa Everdeen."

Ah, yes, my mother. Maybe I have more of a hard-shell then I perceived. I don't seem moved by my mother's death. Peeta returns my tight hand-hold as her name is called.

"Mayla Padgett."

I admired Mayla, probably because she was just like Rue. She was like her in every way, not just by the way she looked, but also by her attitude. Kind, sweet, caring. But now, she is nothing more than dead. Her death was something that didn't need to happen. There was no reason Morrison had to kill her. If Mayla had lived, maybe she could have restored hope to her four younger siblings. When Rue died, she became the oldest of the children and I'm certain she must have been a role model to them. Now, their family takes another loss just because of the idiocy of Morrison Mellark.

"Merrow Garthwaite. Octavia Jones. Portia Fennels. Regulus Undersee."

Madge! As Mayor Undersee's name is called, I lift my head up to try and find her in the crowd. There is no sign of her anywhere I can see. I listen for a soft sob, but hear nothing except the winter wind. Would Madge cry because of his death? That's hard for me to determine. But just thinking about her gets me excited for the celebration, even though we're supposed to be mourning right now. I can't wait to see her again.

"Rory Hawthorne."

Oh, Gale. I was so wrapped up in my own joy that I forgot about Gale's loss. I haven't really seen him much since the baby was born. I'm sure he's taken a few glances at me. I must disgust him, being happy even though Gale's two brothers have been killed. And pathetically, too. I know I wouldn't want to say my brothers were killed by a rain of explosive flowers.

"Samuel Mellark."

And then there's another loss from Peeta. I'm affected by this death as well. Mr. Mellark would have been my father-in-law. I look over to Peeta and he doesn't look upset at all. In fact, he looks hopeful. I'm not sure what he could possibly be hoping for, but the look is there.

"Sarah Billow. Tolliver Poystorm. Venia Azlone. Vick Hawthorne. Yula Fischer."

After the last name is called, Mayor Bauer calls for seventeen seconds of silence, one second to honor each tribute. When the silence is over, the crowd is once again joyous.

"Now, let us honor the tributes who have returned to us from the arena! Annie Cresta."

Annie lets go of one of Finnick's hands and waves it back and forth in the air. At first the crowd is hesitant to cheer for her, but soon it is rip-roaring loud.

"Cinna Vearich."

Cinna raises his hand and quickly puts it back down to his side. I think it's funny how over the past two years I never knew Cinna's last name. I look over to him and his eyes are still watery. I wonder what kind of a relationship he had with Portia.

"Effie Trinket."

Effie loves the attention she's given. I rarely see her so happy. She jumps up and down, with a big, fat smile on her face. I think the joy gets to her because she turns to Cinna, who is standing next to her, and plants a kiss on his cheek. He looks slightly alarmed and his face turns a light shade of pink. I stifle a laugh.

"Johanna Mason."

Morrison picks up Johanna and lifts her higher into the air. She smiles, which is a big thing for her, and as Mayor Bauer announces Morrison, he puts her down on the ground and she wraps her arms around his sides, causing him to grin.

"Peeta Mellark."

The crowd goes wild screaming out chants for Peeta and me. I start to feel a little woozy with all the people calling my name.

"Prim Everdeen."

Prim, who is standing behind Peeta in the line, politely smiles.

"Also, let's honor our rescuers: Haymitch Abernathy, Mason Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne and Finnick Odair. Congratulations on your success! Credits also go to Plutarch Heavensbee, Beetee Plumore, and Vedran Davis. Now, let's celebrate!" Mayor Bauer finishes his speech and the crowd begins to move to the town hall.

Peeta and I begin to follow when I hear, "Gale! Katniss!" I turn around and Madge is running towards me. Her hair is back to its regular shade of blonde. I see Gale weave in and out of people to get to Madge. She reaches me first and gives me a big hug. "Oh my goodness! When I woke up and you weren't there, I almost had a heart attack! Gosh, Katniss, were you trying to kill me?" she babbles. She smells of a very expensive perfume. It reminds me of some sort of flower.

"I missed you too, Madge," I say, letting her go.

"And Peeta!" she says, going over to Peeta next, "How've you been?" she gives him a small hug too.

"Excellent. Nice to see you, Madge," he smiles.

Then Gale reaches her and taps her shoulder. She releases Peeta and turns around to face Gale. For a moment, both of them are quiet. Then she wraps her arms around him and whispers something in his ear.

He smiles and kisses her. This time, he kisses her the same way he kissed me in the forest. There is love. I grab Peeta's hand and pull him away from Gale and Madge.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he says, putting his arm around my shoulder.

"Gale and Madge are married," I tell him.

"What?" he takes his arm away from me and stops walking, turning to face me.

I repeat, "Gale and Madge are…"

"I heard you," Peeta cuts me off, "but… what?"

"I don't know. They just are." What a miserable explanation by me.

"Ok…" he says, resuming our walk. "Do you really want to go to this celebration?" Peeta asks me.

We have to go. I don't see there is a choice. In response I just shrug.

"I say we forget about it. Go spend some time together," he says.

"You want to just… go?" I ask.

"Yeah. Why not?"

"Well," I begin, but then I look at him.

"One night. Just you and me. We won't have many," says Peeta.

I consider this for a minute. "We could get in trouble," I say.

"Nah, you could say you were tired or something and you couldn't participate. Come on, let's just go."

"Alright," I give in. "One night for just you and me."

He grabs my hand and we go to my father's house. Somehow, we manage to forget the troubles that tomorrow brings us.

* * *

**END OF PART TWO**


	19. 19: Part III The War

**A/N: I didn't get a chance to reread this before I posted. I'll fix any mistakes tomorrow. Enjoy!**

**PART III:**

**"THE WAR"**

(19)

The sound of Revelyn's cry makes me wake. I turn over in bed and moan. "Why do you wake me up so early?"

"What?" Peeta says, grabbing my hand. "I didn't order any pepperoni!"

I look over at him, puzzled from his outburst. His eyes are closed.

"Peeta?" I say, shaking him. "Peeta?"

"No, I will not pay for something I didn't order. Does she look like she wants any pepperoni?" he releases my hand and points randomly into the air.

I chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You seriously think I'm going to tip you if you rip me off like this?"

"Peeta, shut up or you'll wake my father," I take his face in my hands and shake it back and forth.

"Yeah, that's right! You go now! Get that engine of yours going or I'll grab my shotgun. Jeez, these hooligans. Got to learn their place in society," he trails off.

"Peeta! Seriously," I can't stop laughing. I lie on top of him and push him, trying to wake him up. His eyes stay closed, so I give up my efforts and just stare at him. "Peeta," I whisper.

His eyes flash open, "Hello!"

I laugh as he pushes me off of him. "Good morning to you, too," I say.

"Katniss, don't scare me like that in the morning!" he laughs along with me and then Revelyn starts crying again. Our smiles fade.

"She's hungry. Why is she always hungry?" I sigh.

Peeta ignores my question and takes Revelyn out of her basket, handing her to me.

"It's time to get serious," he says.

"I know," I exhale.

"I'm going to take a shower. Towels?"

"They're in the closet," I tell him.

"Soap?" he says.

"In the shower."

"Shampoo?"

I laugh, "Come on, Peeta. It's all in there."

Then he smiles and I know I don't have to tell you about the sweetness of his smile. "Alright…" he says. "Clothes? I know they're not in the bathroom."

"I don't have any clothes for you. You should ask my father," I say.

"I'm not asking your father for clothes. He is so much bigger than me. I'd never fit!"

"True, true. Well, wear what you wore yesterday," I decide.

"Ok," he says, getting out of bed and grabbing his clothes. "See you soon."

"Enjoy your shower!"

He laughs as he closes the door behind him.

As soon as the door shuts, my mind turns off of Peeta and enters a world of destruction and death. This is the world I belong in, the world I've been living in for the past two years. I do not belong in my father's bedroom tending to a baby or laughing the days away by doing childish things with Peeta. I belong out there, in District 13, fighting with my bow and arrow.

When Peeta comes back in, he takes the baby and I get ready for the day. Leanore has agreed to spend the days with Revelyn while Peeta and I go with my father to the meetings that are being held underground. The first one is today. It's almost noon when Leanore arrives at our doorstep. I have to be back within two hours to feed the baby, but at least I'll get the opportunity to finally be in on some action.

Making sure Leanore is all set with Revelyn, my father, Peeta and I make our way out of the house. "Follow me and stay closely behind. Don't ask any questions until we are in the room, understand?"

We both nod.

My father takes us to the outskirts of the town. There is nothing here except a large rock and several bushes. I run my hand along the tops of a bush and realize they are artificial. So is the rock. My father looks around and then touches several places on the rock. I'm taken aback when the rock says, "Voice Identification."

"Mason Everdeen."

"You're clear," it responds and the top of the rock opens, just large enough for a human to slip inside.

"You will feel a slight falling sensation, but it's not dangerous," he assures us.

Peeta and I exchange glances and then my father goes into the rock. I hear him hit the bottom and he calls up to me, "It's ok, sweetie! Come on down!"

Peeta looks around and says, "Let's go, Katniss."

I sit down on the edge and let myself fall. Wind rushes through my hair for one second and then I land on a trampoline of some sort. Peeta quickly follows me and I hear the opening in the rock close. My father is standing on a platform and I follow him. We walk on a bridge over to a glass elevator. It reminds me of the one in the Capitol. Foolishly, I get excited about riding it.

"There are twenty four underground floors. The floor we are on now is twenty four, not one. Understand?"

"The lower you go, the lower the number," Peeta reasons out before I can say anything.

"Exactly. We're going to floor twenty one," my father says, pushing a button.

The elevator takes us down in a heartbeat and it announces to us, "Level Twenty One: Conference Rooms."

I'm amazed. Firstly, there are lots of people running around. This level is very busy for some reason. An announcer comes over the loudspeaker and says, "Lert, you are needed on Level Nine: Weapons Management." Secondly, everything is made out of glass: the floors, the walls, the chairs. It gives the place an edge.

"Are all the levels like this?" I say, examining the glass door we open.

"Yes," my father answers.

I can already see Haymitch, Finnick, Plutarch and Gale sitting at a glass table just beyond another door. We enter the room and Plutarch claps his hands. Immediately, the glass walls fog up so that no one can see inside. "Whoa…" I let out a noise of awe. "Where did you get all this technology."

Plutarch coughs, "Let's just say there are quite a few District 13 supporters on the 'inside.' Sit down!"

The three of us take chairs. Finnick looks worn out. He has big bags under his eyes. Gale looks tired too. Haymitch, however, looks fresh, so I assume he didn't drink last night. I'm glad he didn't.

Haymitch begins speaking, "March 25th." Six pairs of eyebrows raise and he continues, "The day the war will begin." Haymitch looks smug.

"That's less than a week!" my father exclaims.

"How do you know?" Plutarch inquires for all of us.

"Got in contact with Vedran."

Everyone nods except Peeta and me. "Who's Vedran?" I ask.

"He's a Gamemaker who is on our side," my father explains.

"How does_ he _know?" Peeta asks.

"You find things out, kid," Haymitch says.

"Yes, but are you positive that the Capitol doesn't know he's on our side? They could be feeding him false information," Peeta counters back.

The room is silent for a few moments. "I don't think so," Haymitch says. "Vedran is pretty good at concealing things like that."

"Well, I think we should have the army assembled. Two days, tops," Peeta says.

"Two days? We can't put together an army in two days! Peeta, are you crazy?" Haymitch yells.

"You don't know! They're supposed to be here in five days, so it has to be ready by then. For all we know, they could be coming later today," Peeta sighs. "We need to do something."

"Do you have anything in mind?" my father asks.

"Yes. Prepare the weapons and get people to safety. That way we can be ready when they attack."

"Peeta," I say, "I don't think that can happen today."

"If we put it off, we'll be in even more danger. We may only have a few days to get everything prepared. It has to get done today!" he raises his voice.

"I don't think it's going to happen like that," I say quietly.

"Alright," he lets out a long sigh. "Does anyone else have a plan?"

Gale raises an arm feebly and says, "I do."

"Ok. What do you have in mind, Gale?"

He breathes in deeply and says, "We get the weapons ready, set them up, and make sure everyone has them in their house by tonight. Tomorrow, we go over our plan and inform the people by the end of the day. Then we get the women and children to safety-"

"Women and children? I don't think so. What about the ones that can fight?" I interrupt him.

"Fine, just the weak ones, then. The sick, the injured, the new-born," he says, looking over at me. Inside that look is his anger. I see how upset he is about my child. I thought Gale was my friend. I didn't understand all he wanted was to tear me down. Maybe he's trying to ruin my relationship with Peeta.

"Then we go from there," he finishes.

"It's going to take a lot of cooperation, though. We need to get Bauer in on this," my father points out.

"Speaking of Bauer," I say. "Where are the others? Johanna? Morrison? Annie? Prim?"

"Prim is staying with Leanore," Haymitch announces.

"When can I see her?" I ask before I can stop myself.

Peeta grabs my arm and whispers in my ear, "Katniss, this isn't the time for this."

I nod and he releases me.

"Annie is still asleep," Finnick says. "I didn't want to wake her. She probably needs some rest."

"As do Johanna and Morrison, wherever they are," Plutarch says.

"Yes. Does anyone have any idea where they've gone off to?" Haymitch says, scratching his scruffy face.

Six heads shake.

"Alright, then. That will be our first job. Find Johanna and Morrison. Katniss, I'll put you in charge of that. Shouldn't be too labor intensive," Haymitch orders.

I don't add that I feel well enough to take a bow of arrows and shoot his head dead center from afar. "Now?" I ask.

"Yes, now! If we want to get the weapons ready by tonight, we're going to need as many hands as possible. Lots to do!" Haymitch gets up from his chair.

"I guess this means I should wake Annie," Finnick says, standing up in the same fashion as Haymitch.

Haymitch looks up at Finnick from across the table and says, "Yeah. It couldn't hurt."

Plutarch claps his hands and the fog clears away. My guess is that this meeting has been adjourned. Peeta and I get up to leave. Just as we are exiting the room, I feel a pull on my right hand. I turn around and Gale whispers, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

I look over to Peeta, who looks quite discontent, then reply, "One second. Starting… now."

He ignores this and says, "I wanted to congratulate you and Peeta on your first child."

This pulls me up short. My eyebrows rise at the use of the word "first," almost like he's suggesting there will be another. Gale is congratulating us? This is the last action I would expect from him. Just a few moments ago I could have sworn he was prepared to kill Revelyn.

Peeta notices my stunned reaction so he speaks for me. "Thank you very much, Gale," he says. "Congratulations with you and Madge."

The top of Gale's forehead turns a slightly darker shade of pink. "What?" he questions.

"Wedding blessings?" Peeta explains.

Gale exhales, "Oh… yes. Thank you."

"Look," Peeta lowers his voice and says, "I know we're not exactly anything close to friends, but I'm really sorry about your brothers. I'm sure it must have been awful."

There he goes again. Peeta can't help from being kind-hearted.

Gale sighs and says, "It's alright. Everything is going to be fine. Maybe Beetee will be able to get my mother back here and if not, I'll always have my dad…" Gale trails off. "I'm sorry about your dad and Jamie. They didn't have to die."

"Yeah… Morrison took Jamie's death pretty hard. I'm sure they didn't show it on television, but he started throwing a fit, cursing the Capitol. He almost hurt himself with one of our weapons. Good thing Johanna was there to stop him," Peeta says.

I finally recover and manage to say to Gale, "Rory and Vick didn't have to die either, Gale." I grab his hand and squeeze it gently, "I'm very sorry."

Gale looks into my eyes and lets out a held breath. Peeta watches us intently. Gale opens his mouth and struggles to say something for a few moments, but then I release him and Peeta takes me out of the conference room, leaving Gale alone with his half-formed thoughts. My father follows us and pushes the button to the twenty-fourth floor.

"Level Twenty Four: Main Entrance," the elevator says after we shoot up to the top of the underground district.

"Are there other entrances?" I ask.

"Yes. Plenty. But this one here was the one closest to the conference room we decided to use," my father answers.

"Where are the others?" I say as I step out of the elevator and walk over to the shoot we fell down to get here.

"All in the district, on the mountains, some are in the trees. They are everywhere and yet, the Capitol never discovered them," he explains, pressing a button. I see a ray of light stream through the top of the shoot. "Just push this button and step on the platform."

He steps onto the trampoline and all of sudden my father is sucked up the shoot and out onto the surface. Peeta follows him and laughs when he reaches the top. "Well, that was fun!" I hear him yell.

I take one last look at this enormous glass underground city, beginning to comprehend what a big deal this war will be. I have no idea what sort of weapons I am sure to be assembling later, but I'm expecting some really advanced equipment. The thought of how this will be history in the years to come floods back to me at this moment. _District 13 rebelled again once more against the Capitol. Apparently, it had never been destroyed when it was thought to have been. The rebels built a city underground and advanced over the years. Eventually, they became strong enough to fight. With the spark of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark (the final two tributes in the 74th Hunger Games) attempting a double suicide at the end of the Games, the districts began to rebel against this harsh, cruel rule the Capitol had put in place. There was an enormous war against the Capitol and the rebels. In the end…_

What I know stops here. In the end the rebels fought and won their freedom back, abolishing the Games? Or, in the end, the rebels proved no match to the powers of the Capitol, yet again? Only time will tell.

I push the button and stand on the trampoline, shooting towards the surface. In my mind is my goal. My goal to make sure that the enemy, the Capitol, is finally eliminated.

**A/N: Suzanne Collins' books generally have 27 chapters, so in order for this to seem more like a continuation of her trilogy, I put some of the chapters together. I'm sure there are a lot of mistakes in the story that need to be fixed. I intend to fix them soon. So the choice is yours. For this week, would you like me to write another chapter or fix all the other chapters, adding more scenes and stuff?**


	20. 20

**A/N: I'm sorry for such a late update. I've really been intending to post for awhile, but it has never been very convenient to work on the story**

(20)

When I reach my father's house to check on Revelyn, I find the door is locked. Nervously, I bang on it and after a few seconds, Leanore comes to meet me. "Where is she?" I say frantically, not realizing how urgent it is that I know exactly where my baby is.

"Shh…" Leanore puts a finger to her lips. "She asleep! Don't be too loud or you'll wake her."

"Sorry," I mumble. "Should I come back later?"

"Well, I guess. She hasn't cried since you left so I think she's fine. Maybe in twenty minutes," says Leanore.

"Ok," I say. "Thank you," I get out just before she closes the door.

She pauses, holding the door slightly ajar and faces away from me. She mumbles, "You're welcome," then shuts the door tightly. I hear the lock click.

"Revelyn's fine," I announce to Peeta who is waiting for me just out of earshot from Leanore.

"Great," he says. "Now let's get looking."

It isn't difficult to find people to ask, the problem is finding the _right_ people to ask. We walk by a group of young teenagers and ask them if they've seen either Johanna or Morrison. Instead of answering our question, they begin to ask their own.

"What's it like in the arena?" says one.

"Are Cinna's clothes comfortable?" another bursts out.

"Do you like being the symbol of rebellion?"  
Peeta manages to usher us out of there before the kids surround us.

It takes some time, but we eventually find a middle-aged woman who seems to recall spotting Johanna. "The last I saw of her, she was sitting over there, by that tree," she says with a slight Capitol accent.

"When did you last see her?" Peeta asks, clearly thinking farther than me.

"Uh… I'd say about maybe ten minutes ago," she says, furrowing her brow.

"Oh, so it hasn't been too long. Thank you so much!" Peeta says.

"You're quite welcome," she says.

"Katniss," says Peeta, turning to me, "you go back to check on Revelyn. I'll go look for Johanna."

"You think the tree…" I look to make sure the woman is gone, "… is an entrance to underground?"

"It has to be. Remember your father said they are everywhere. Maybe Jo figured it out," he says with a smile.

"Jo?" I feel my lips curve up to smile in the same fashion as him.

"Yeah." He lets out a laugh and says, "Morrison has taken a liking to calling her that lately."

I laugh along. "And does she like it?"

Peeta chuckles for a few seconds before saying, "No! She absolutely hates it! That's why he calls her Jo. I think he likes getting on her nerves."

"Why?" I ask. "It seemed to me that Morrison really likes Johanna."

"Well, yeah," Peeta says, "but he has a very weird way of showing it."

"I'm glad you aren't like that," I say giving him my best smile.

"I think he likes bothering her because it's a change of pace for him. Usually Jamie would…" he trails off. Peeta looks at me for a few seconds before he says, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go back to the house! I'll see you soon."

"Ok," I say as I turn to make my way back. I take one step and stop. All of sudden, I become aware of my life and my situation. I am in District 13, going to my father's house to go check on my baby. Peeta, the man who I love more than any other, is going to find Johanna, who was last seen by an entrance to this underground district. We are preparing for war against the Capitol. One year ago, none of this would have made sense. I turn around and see Peeta is touching the tree in different spots in the same manner my father did. I call out to him, "Our lives are crazy, Peeta!"

I hear his laugh and it calms me down a bit. I think of where I was a year ago. I was in District 12, living in Victor's Village, going from day to day trying to figure out a way to fix my problems. I was having conflicting emotions for Gale. I was training for the Quell with Haymitch and keeping a safe distance away from Peeta until that fateful night when everything changed. My reality of last year seems like a dream in comparison to what is going on in my life now.

"I hope they have cakes at our victory party!" he yells to me.

I roll my eyes and call back, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Well, when we win this war, I hope there are cakes at the victory party, so I can rate them!" he says back.

I turn to look at him and then run towards him with force. I tackle him and pin him down to the ground, ignoring the fact that we're in public. "Listen up, bread boy," I say. He laughs for so long with so much carelessness that I join in. Finally, I'm able to contain myself and give him a speech. "This war is not won yet. There's a lot that needs to get done and if you're going to fool around like your brother Jamie, then you can just go run away to District 14. Nobody needs a joker when lives are at stake. So don't you go talking about rating cakes, ok?"

Peeta's face turns somber at the mention of Jamie. Maybe I shouldn't have added that. We both get off the ground and he nods. Without another word, I turn to head back to the house, this time, not pausing to look back.

When I finally get home, the door is unlocked and Leanore is holding Revelyn in her arms on the couch. "Katniss, she just woke up." She gets up off the couch and hands Revelyn to me. "She's been very quiet this whole time," Leanore adds.

"Thank you," I say to her again. "Thank you for taking good care of her."

"Anytime," she replies. "So, how was the meeting?"

"Oh, it was fine," I say, sitting down.

"Good," she says, taking a seat next to me.

I touch Revelyn's head and smooth out her few black hairs. Every time I look at her, she looks more and more like Peeta. I kiss her forehead and she closes her eyes. "Time for feeding," I say to her.

Slowly, her eyes open, and the bright blue irises twinkle as I start feeding her. Leanore disappears into the kitchen and calls out to me, "Is there anything I can eat?"

"There should be something in the refrigerator. Help yourself to anything you want," I tell her. Soon enough, Revelyn is done with her feeding and I give her back to Leanore, who has made a peanut butter sandwich. "I'll be back soon," I say.

"Good luck!" she calls out to me as I close the door.

I quickly run over to the tree Peeta was inspecting. I press my hands in certain spots around the tree and it asks for voice identification.

"Uh, Katniss…" I don't know whether to say Everdeen or Mellark. What would the computer have me down as? If I say the wrong thing, will an alarm system go off? That would ruin the disguise of the underground district. The thought crosses my mind that there is a possibility the people on the surface don't know what's underground. I guess I'll never know.

Before I can say anything, the voice says, "You're clear." I jump in. After the falling sensation has passed and I land on the trampoline, I look around, searching for Johanna and Peeta.

"Johanna?" I yell. "Peeta? Morrison? Morrison!?" I repeat at the top of my lungs.

"What?" I hear a voice say from behind me. I flip around and see Morrison sitting on the ground, just behind the trampoline.

"Hey," I say, walking over to him. "Everyone has been looking for you."

"Is that so?" he says, standing up off the ground.

"Yeah. Where's Johanna?" I ask, looking behind him.

"I don't know. She went on the elevator and said she'd be right back, but she never returned," he says, looking away from me.

"Do you have any idea what floor she went to?" I say, trying to get his attention.

He stares absentmindedly into the distance. "No."

"Ok… will you help me find her?" Talking to Morrison is like pulling teeth.

"If I must," he says, exhaling.

We start walking to the elevator. "Didn't you see Peeta come down this entrance?"

"No."

"Well, I'm pretty sure he came down this way. If you were sitting right there," I point to where he was, "you should have seen him."

"Well, actually, I just came here a few minutes ago. I've been wandering around," he says.

I roll my eyes at him, not bothering to point out that if you are in an unfamiliar place and you are split up with someone, you should stay in the same spot and not move around. I get in the elevator and read the level names. Eventually, after Morrison's impatience was really starting to get on my nerves, I choose Level Nine: Weapons Management. Maybe Peeta found Johanna and they are already down there. I push the button and the elevator doors close swiftly.

The elevator is amazingly fast. In just three seconds, we have gone all the way down to Level Nine. The pressure in my ears should increase, but for reason, it stays the same. Luckily, I was right. Peeta and Johanna are inspecting something in a glass box with their backs turned to us.

Morrison takes the lead and goes up right behind Johanna and wraps his arms around her. "Did you miss me?" he says.

I do the same thing to Peeta, wrapping my arms around his middle. He turns around and kisses my forehead.

I hear Johanna say, "Not really. You need to shave." I look over and see her touch his face. Morrison purses his lips and she gives him a smile.

"Katniss," Peeta says, "this is your bow."

I look for the first time into the glass box and see locked up inside is a beautiful, wood bow with carvings in the side. Clearly etched in it is my name: Katniss. Like a child, I want to touch it, test it, and feel that familiar power of it in my hands. "Can I see it?" I ask Peeta, my eyes widening as I look from him back to the bow.

He sees my face and laughs. "Katniss, calm down! You'll get to test it later."

"Ok…" I say, desperately staring at the bow, longing to pick it up.

"So, what do we have to do?" Morrison says, looking away from Johanna.

"I don't know. Haymitch said to wait here," Peeta answers.

"Good job." I turn around to see Haymitch walk into the room. "You're so good at following directions, Peeta," he says.

Peeta's smile fades and he gets serious all of a sudden. "Thank you."

Haymitch says, "Alright everybody. Just follow me." He leads us into a room that has several pedestals. Each one has a different weapon locked up inside. Haymitch reads out the names of each model as he goes down the line. I don't really listen to the names. I just look at each weapon carefully, trying to figure out what it does. Some of them look very interesting and I have a difficult time understanding what they do.

"So," says Haymitch as we reach the end of the line, "that is all of them. Shall we go back and I'll explain what their purposes are?"

"I want to see my bow," I tell him, without a second's hesitation.

"I can help you with that," a voice says from behind my back. I turn around and see my father standing in the entryway. He walks up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. In his comforting voice, he says, "Come with me."

I follow him back into the other room and he tells me to wait by the bow. I spend another three minutes staring at it before he comes back with a weirdly shaped key. He inserts it inside the lock and the box asks for voice identification, which he gives. Gently, my father takes the bow out of its case and hands it to me.

I take it from him with care. The wood is smooth and I notice I take a few moments to stroke it back and forth. "Did you make this?" I ask my father.

He nods. "Look here," he says, taking the bow from my hands. He flips it over and points to one of the carvings. "This took me awhile. I'm no artist, as you can obviously see, but I think they came out pretty well."

I look closely at the bow and notice that all along the face of the upper and lower limbs are mockingjays. Small ones in flight, large ones perched on branches, some singing melodies and others with their beaks snapped shut. Each one is different. Somehow my father was able to portray different emotions in each bird: happiness, hopelessness, guilt. It was one of the most remarkable things I'd even seen.

"Do you like them?" he asks.

I place the bow back down in its box and throw my arms around him. "I love it," I whisper in his ear.

"Do you want to test it out?" he says.

"Yes!" I say with excitement and let go of the embrace. I pick up the bow and say, "Lead me to target practice."

My father laughs and says, "Follow me."

We walk to the glass elevator and he pushes the button for Level Ten: Weapons Testing. "Is this level dangerous?" I ask him as we arrive.

"Only a tad," he says, turning around to look at me. I see his smile and know he's joking.  
We walk up to a room and he types a code into the door. The doors slide open and we walk inside. The room is completely dark except for a lit path to an illuminated platform and the light from behind us. I follow the lights up to the platform and stand there.

My father hands me some bows and I knock one on.

"Ready?" he says, stepping away from me.

"Yes," I reply, shaking slightly.

Suddenly my father is out of sight and the door, which had been the only light source, closes. I shut my eyes only to open them again when I can see light streaming through. I'm amazed to find myself in a forest. Of course, I can't really be in a forest, but it seems just like one.

"Where am I?" I ask my father, hoping he can hear me. I feel a little tense being alone.

"Underground in District 13," he says. His laugh lightens me up a bit. "Actually, this is a simulation. The woods aren't real, so don't run off and start climbing trees."

I nod, even though he can't see me, and ask, "So, do I shoot at the trees? I mean, what do I do?"

"Oh, there will be something for you to shoot in just a second. Pretend you're really out in the forest," he replies.

I engage my hunter's senses and turn around, never dropping my hold on the bow. I am ready to attack. It's incredible because I can actually hear the faint chirping of birds, the trickle of a stream, the occasional snap of a twig. I realize with horror that this is just like the Games.

That's when I hear the breathing. I flip around and see him there. Without a moment's hesitation, I point at his mouth and my arrow hits the back of his throat. "That's for convincing some people with your words that everything is fine in Panem and for manipulating me."

I knock another and step closer to him. "This is for messing with my head and for making me believe I had a chance at survival." This arrow goes through his skull.

I aim the last arrow right at his heart. "This is for breaking so many people's hearts for the lives you have so carelessly taken." I kick him. "For Jamie." I kick him again, harder. "For my mother." I start to break down. "For Mayla and for Rue." I let the arrow go.

I step away from the simulated blood. I step away from the man I hate so much, from the man I so long to kill.

"Good job, sweetheart!" my father yells out to me. "I guess the bow works well?"

"Yes," I say. My father flicks on the lights and I retrieve my arrows. President Snow's body vanishes.


	21. 21

**A/N: Dear readers and reviewers, I do apologize SO much for not updating this story recently. I know how you must be upset that I haven't been updating it, but I have never had time. My life is so busy right now. I hope you understand. Please read and review. The reviews really do help me work faster. And once again, I do apologize. Anyway, enjoy!**

(21)

The light blinds me when I step outside. I squint and make out two people standing in front of me. I open my eyes and smile. It's Annie and Madge. Annie is biting her fingernails and looking around the room. She looks to be a little nervous about something and I note she avoids my gaze. Madge is smiling brighter than the sun and she is dressed in a yellow sundress.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Madge says, grabbing my hands.

"Sunshine?" I say.

"Oh, yes," she says, releasing me. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" She raises her arms in the air and twirls around. The last time I was outside, rainclouds were blocking out the sun and were threatening an imminent shower. If anything, I'd say it was a depressing day. I hear her sigh deeply and my brain sends off an alarm that questions:_ What in the world?_

"Yeah, beautiful day, right. Just have to get these dangerous weapons ready so that we can fight the blood-thirsty Capitol. But other than that…" I trail off.

Annie looks at my father and grumbles, "Haymitch wants you now."

My father sighs and says, "Is he in a good mood today?"

"How the hell should I know?" Annie shoots back. Annie and Madge make a comical couple of friends. There's Annie who is a miserable, cynical, and sadistic human being and then there's Madge who is all flowers and sunshine. I risk a snicker.

My father does not reply. He leads us back to the elevator and we go down a flight, back to Level Nine. I step off the elevator and Haymitch ushers all of us into the room with the pedestals. Everyone who is important to me in District 12 is here, even Leanore and Prim. When I see Leanore, my eyebrows raise and I feel a rush of panic, but then I look over at my sister and all my troubles wash away. I want to give her a hug. The walls fog up.

Haymitch whispers, "We're now going to implant the tracking devices."

Haymitch goes over to Plutarch and sticks a needle up his arm. He carefully places the tracker and removes the needle. "Now these," he says, as he reaches for another needle, "are special tracking devices. We will not essentially be using them to track you, but rather to keep track of you. I'm placing them where it can feel your pulse. If the tracker no longer feels a pulse, you are dead. We'll all be notified. Any questions?"

"So if one of us dies, everyone else will find out? How?" Cinna says as Haymitch sticks the needle up his arm.

"These patches," he says. "Here, hand them out." Haymitch tosses a bag to Leanore and she removes these little strips.

She gives me a strip and I whisper to her, "Where's Revelyn?"

"Safe," she says, giving me a gaze that says, "Don't you trust me?" I know Leanore would never leave my baby anyplace harm could come to her, so I feel much better immediately.

I nod and look at the strip. On it are seventeen little dots. Right now, all the dots are black with exception to the third, seventh and sixteenth dots, which are illuminated in red.

"Just stick these on your arms. Peel the back off and place it carefully. They won't come off for a while. Each dot represents one of us. They are in alphabetical order with Annie being number one," he says as he implants Annie's tracker, "and Prim being number seventeen." I see the first dot turn red. "The most important thing to do," he continues, "is make sure the ninth dot is always red."

"Why is that?" I ask, foolishly.

"Why that's your dot, you silly girl!" Madge says, with a laugh. Gale, who is standing next to the bubbly Madge, smiles and grabs her hand.

I watch as Haymitch implants all of our trackers. He finally comes around to me and all but the ninth dot and the sixth dot are illuminated in red. I note that Gale is the sixth dot. Haymitch implants the tracker and I breathe in slowly. It isn't painful, but it reminds me of the two times I had trackers in my arm before the Games. It reminds me of how Johanna, that brightly shining eighth dot, ripped apart my arm to "save my life."

I watch the strip and the ninth dot turns red. It's impressive how these things work. When Haymitch is finished placing Gale's tracker and the seventeen dots are blazing red, I dare to walk over to Prim and put my arm around her.

"How's it going, sister?" I ask her, kissing her forehead. Haymitch gives me a look of disapproval, but I ignore him, telling myself it is more important to catch up with Prim then listen to Haymitch blab on about some gun. I know what weapon I'm using. There's no need for me to acquaint myself with any of the others.

"I guess it's alright," Prim says, giving me a hug. "I mean, I lose one parent, than find another. I just can't lose a sister and get another one."

I nod and say, "I'm so sorry… about what happened with mom."

"Oh. Did they show that on television? Did they show me crying?" she whispers, her voice choking at the end of her sentences.

"Yeah, they did. But Peeta's right! You were so brave to carry on like you did. You didn't fall apart," I say, rubbing her back.

"Katniss," she says quietly.

"Mmmm?" I mumble, looking down on her.

"We're going to win this war, right?" she asks.

How am I supposed to answer that question? How can I flatly tell my fourteen-year-old sister that the chances of us winning against the Capitol are so small and that we could be crushed by them in a matter of hours? I don't want to lie to her. I don't want to tell her, "Yes, Prim, it will all be alright," but when I was first reaped for the 74th Hunger Games, she asked me to try hard to win and I did. So I'll give this as my reply.

"We can try our best," I say.

She looks down at the ground. "Promise?" she says.

My eyes dash to that seventeenth dot on my patch. This dot represents my sister's life. I take a deep breath and say, "I promise."

"And that's all you need to know!" I hear Haymitch say. "Now, get to work, people!"

Everyone begins to line up and I look over at Peeta. He catches my gaze and mouths, "putting them together." I nod at him and stand in line with Prim. My mind wanders off from where I am. I imagine what life would have been like if nothing ever happened. I go back to before the Hunger Games. For one, my mother would still be alive and my father would still be "dead." Peeta and I probably would have never spoken. Gale and I would have ended up together and Prim…

"Don't just stand there!" Haymitch says cutting my thoughts off.

I look at him and realize he wants me to pick up this gun. I take it in my hands and feel its heavy weight sink in. I turn around and tap Peeta's shoulder. "What do you we do?" I whisper.

"Seriously? Don't you ever listen?" he says almost too loudly. Several heads turn. I see Haymitch flit his eyes up at us.

"Yes!" I reply, slightly angered.

"Here," he says, taking my gun. "You just click this button right here and pull this out and just put these in here." He places bullets inside of my gun.

"We're loading them?" I ask, feeling stupid.

Peeta rolls his eyes and says, "Genius, Katniss."

"Ok," I say, taking the gun back from him.

"WHOA. Be careful! Put the safety on!"

Peeta takes the gun carefully out of my hands. He does something with it and hands it back to me.

"You need to be more careful. These are really weapons," he says, reprimanding me like a child.

"Thanks. I figured that out for myself, though," I say, furrowing my brow and frowning at him.

"Listen, I'm just trying to help," he says.

"Fine," I say, grabbing the gun back again and bringing it over to Haymitch. He shows me where to put it and I take another gun to load.

"You need to work faster, Everdeen," Haymitch calls out to me. "We need to get as many loaded as possible."

I get angry when he calls me "Everdeen." I turn around at him and say, "Look! I don't have to do this!"

Haymitch sighs and says, "Alright, don't get upset. I'm just saying!"

I open the gun the way Peeta showed me but struggle at putting the bullets in. Peeta obviously sees my frustration. I'm not upset right now, just frustrated, mostly at Peeta. But why? I really have no reason to be.

He comes up behind and says, "Need some help with that?"

I take a deep breath and exhale, saying, "Yes."

He shows me how to load it and suddenly it becomes easier.

"I'm sorry," I say, "for getting upset with you."

"What?" he says, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, well, it's okay."

The rest of the day consists of loading all these different types of guns. I take a break to go back to Revelyn who appears so peaceful in her sleep. Leanore had left her with a local woman, Java. I wasn't quite happy with this at first, but I got to talking with her and apparently she knows two people I came across before the Quell.

Soon, I'm in this woman's living room and in walk Bonnie and Twill.

"Katniss!" Bonnie exclaims when she seems me. She gives me her crooked-tooth smile. I'm relieved that her foot is much better.

Then Twill comes up to me and smiles. Her hair is streaked with gray and she is wearing green-rimmed glasses. "What did I tell you?" she says triumphantly.

It takes me a minute to realize that she means she was right about District 13. "You were right," I say simply.

"It's so good to see you!" Bonnie motions for me to sit down and says, "Do you have some time?"

I glance over at Revelyn who is asleep in Java's arms. "Well, I really should be going back. I have some things to do," I say, feeling slightly guilty.

"Oooo… like what?" Bonnie says, her eyes lighting up.

"Preparation for the war," I say.

"Wow!" Bonnie says, giving Twill a look of amazement.

"Then you should go," Twill says. "They probably need you."

"I like to think that myself," I say with a small laugh.

"Aww… well, we'll be waiting here. When you're done, just come by and we can talk! Ok?" Bonnie says excitedly.

"Alright," I say as I awkwardly walk out the door. "See you soon!"

I reach one of the entrances to the underground. Then I hear this noise behind me, the noise of whooshing air, rapid, fast and menacing in a way. I turn around and look up at the sky to see the Capitol hovercraft descend upon District 13.


	22. 22

**A/N: Something I have been preparing for for a long time is occuring tomorrow. After it is finished, I should be able to work on this book more often. Please enjoy, read and review! Thanks :)**

(22)

I hit the tree entrance, smacking it in such a way that I hope it recognizes I want to get in but am in a hurry. Thankfully the tree seems to understand and says, "Voice Identification."

"Look, I know you're just a tree, but I need you to warn everyone underground that the Capitol is here!" I practically scream at it. I probably look like an idiot, yelling at a tree, telling it to warn people.

"Command accepted," it replies.

I nod and start to run around. I find myself go back to Java's house. Bonnie and Twill are still on the couch, unalarmed. I burst in through the doors and yell, "The Capitol is here!"

Bonnie's eyes grow large in panic and Twill drops the cup of tea she was holding. The cup shatters on the ground into tiny little pieces. Before I can stop myself, I yell at Java, "Give me my baby!"

Java rushes over and hands me a squirmy Revelyn. She begins to cry. "Shh… now. It's alright," I say, desperately trying to comfort her. Bonnie and Twill stand up, get off the couch, and run out the door. Java touches her forehead and falls to the ground. I suspect she has fainted. Under normal circumstances, I'd try to help her, but I realize Revelyn's life is at stake right now.

I run out of Java's home and risk a look at the hovercraft. It is just beginning to land. I run straight for the tree entrance and slap it again. "KATNISS!" I scream at it and I fall underground. I lose my footing when I land and twist something painfully in my ankle. For a moment, it feels like I've broken it. Revelyn is crying, but she seems fine. I hear the sirens blaring and a calm, female voice repeats "Capitol Hovercraft" over and over again. I manage to stand and use all my energy to run for the elevator, slapping the button for Level Nine. I dash into the room where we were assembling the weapons. Only Finnick, Haymitch, Peeta and Leanore remain in the room. They form a circle and are whispering fiercely.

"The Capitol is here!" I yell, my black hair swept messily over my eyes. I feel like a lunatic. "Peeta, what do I do?"

"Here, give the baby to Leanore! I'll go get your bow," he runs from the room.

I hand Revelyn to Leanore. "Please, protect her with your life."

"Where should I go?" Leanore asks with a frightened look in her eyes.

"Level Two," Finnick answers quickly.

I'd taken the time to figure out what each level was. Level Two was Maintenance where assorted cleaning products to keep the underground District fresh were kept. It was hardly a safe haven.

"Maintenance?" I ask with a look of disbelief.

"There are locked rooms on the level. They can only be opened with the secret code put in place by the person inside the room. There'd be no way anyone from the Capitol could get in. In fact, no one except the person inside, in this case, Leanore, would be able to open the doors. Trust me," he says, "I know."

"Can you take me there, Finnick?" Leanore asks, a nervous edge to her voice.

"Sure," he says. Finnick and Leanore run to the elevator.

Haymitch touches my shoulder and says, "Katniss, I don't think that was wise. I wouldn't leave your daughter with Leanore."

"Why not?" I ask angrily. The reality of the situation is sinking in. I could lose everything important to me within the next few hours. I don't need Haymitch directing me.

"Because—"

"I can do whatever the hell I want with my daughter!" I scream at him and trudge out the door. Peeta sees me make for the elevator and comes up behind me.

"Katniss!" he calls after me, "Katniss? Where are you going?"

He catches up with me just before the elevator doors close.

"Here are your arrows," he says, handing me a quiver. I swing it around my shoulder. "And here's your bow." Peeta places that beautiful bow in my hand, the bow made by my father. I feel warmth arise from the wood. I feel powerful.

I hear him take a deep breath. I look over at him as he presses the button for Level Twenty Four. My intense stare causes him to turn to look at me and our eyes meet for a few seconds. I realize as the elevator dings and we step off that something could go wrong, that this may be the last time I see Peeta.

"Peeta," I say.

"Katniss, we don't have time," he says without looking at me.

I feel a pang in my stomach. Those five words work deep inside of me and seem to rip out my emotions. I come close to exploding on him. "Peeta!" I scream. "We could die!" I feel like a child, saying these things.

"I know. Let's go." His voice has no emotion. Still avoiding my eyes, he stands on the trampoline and ascends to the surface.

I turn around and watch the magnificent glass elevators go up and down, frantically hurrying to the place they've been summoned to. I expect many people are trying to escape from underground. I am about to follow Peeta when a small girl with black hair comes running out of the elevator.

"Katniss!" The girl screams. At first I think she's Leanore, but then I realize that it is the girl from the square who asked a question.

"Yes?" I answer.

She runs over to me and latches her arms around my middle. "Please don't go! Don't go up!"

"Why not?" I ask.

"There are terrible things happening up there. Don't go! Please… please stay here with me. I'm scared," she whimpers.

"I can't," I say with finality. "I have to go fight, er…" I struggle to remember her name.

"Meliss," she answers.

"I have to go fight, Meliss. There's no choice for me. It's different for you though. You stay down here. Stay where it's safe."

"Katniss!" she calls as I pry her arms off of me. I walk straight up to the trampoline and the next thing I know, I'm on the battleground. My back is to the tree so I turn around and see the Capitol's army get off the hovercraft in scores. They are dressed in a heartless shade of gray that reflects their hearts. From where I am, it looks like they are armed with guns.

Shakily, I reach for an arrow. I knock it carefully on my bow and begin to walk closer to the troops. I watch the men come closer. I remind myself that I haven't heard any shots yet. At least no one has died. Yet.

I crouch down behind a bush that is just in range of the army. I doubt they can see me here, so the spot is perfect for now. I begin to wonder what's going on when I hear a voice, the voice of Mayor Bauer.

"Greetings!" Bauer says to the army. "What brings you here today?"

"Do not be ignorant," I hear. The chill of the voice sends a ripple of fear through my body. I recognize this voice. It is the voice of none other than President Snow. He stands on the platform of the hovercraft and he is poised carefully against the handrail. I aim my arrow right at his heart. If I act now, I believe I would be able to shoot him. If I could just…

"Stop!" A harsh whisper commands me. A firm hand rests upon my shoulder. I turn around and face Gale, a gun in his hand.

"Why?" I say back in the same tone. "I have a good shot! I could kill him right now, Gale. This man has caused me so much harm. I _have_ to kill him!"

"No," Gale says, lowering his voice. "Not yet. Wait and see what happens."

"What if I miss my opportunity?" I furrow my brow.

"Katniss, just, don't," he says, removing his hand from my body. I feel a rush of anger towards him. I turn back to see President Snow is no longer on the hovercraft platform. He has moved closer to Bauer and I'm alarmed to notice he is carrying a handgun. _I need to warn Bauer. _That is the only thought going through my mind. _I must warn Bauer._

My body reacts before my mind. I scream, "Look out!" Gale clasps his hand around my mouth and pulls me back from the bush. I feel his arms wrap around me and he manages to pick me up and run with me. I can't tell what's going on, only that uproar has risen and I'm being carried by Gale, the person who stopped me from murdering President Snow.

"God Katniss! You know better than to yell like that!" he fumes at me. I realize he has placed me down on a bed in an unfamiliar room. My bow and arrows are by the door. Gale's gun, however, has disappeared.

"Where are we?" I ask, in confusion.

"Does it really matter?"

"No," I say quietly.

A long time of silence passes. My heart is pounding out of my chest. I watch as Gale stands guarding the door. He tussles with his hair and avoids my eyes. "Any reason you blew our cover?" he says, turning towards me.

"But Bauer— "

"Oh, but who cares about Bauer? He's hardly involved!" Gale yells.

I look up at him. He has the appearance of a mad man. He finally meets my eyes and the gray storm is raging.

"Gale…" I say, quietly feeling myself drawn to him in a way I've never felt before.

"Yes?" he says. Without looking away from me, his fingers find the door handle and he locks it soundlessly.

"Come."

I don't know what makes me do it, but I invite Gale into my arms. He willingly climbs onto the bed and gets close to me. I find his arms wrap around me. "Gale, what's going on?" I say, burying my head into his shirt. Gale has a distinct smell. I can't quite explain what it's like.

"I don't really know," he says, squeezing my arms together. "Katniss?"

"Yes," I say, looking back into his eyes.

"My dearest friend," he whispers in my ear.

"Yes? I'm listening," I say, cracking a smile.

"The world is going to change. I don't know if it will be better or if it will be worse, but it is definitely going to change and I don't know how I feel about that. I wanted to… wanted to say good bye just in case—"

"NO!" I yell. I sit upright and break free of his arms. "We are not saying good bye! Are you kidding me?"

"Katniss," he says calmly, trying to sedate me. "Please."

I let out a huff and look back to him with a giant frown on my face. I can feel my eyebrows scrunching up my face and the corners of my mouth dropping.

"Just in case something happens," he pulls me closer to him, "you have been my best friend throughout my entire life and I—"

"I love you."

"Yes," Gale locks eyes with me. "I love you."

It takes no explaining to tell each other how we feel. We both know exactly where we stand when it comes to our relationship. So I just enjoy the comfortable safety of being held by him. I feel secure about the way that we can accept what's going on. There is no need to worry about Gale. It's as if, in our time in this room, we have come full circle.

It seems like hours pass, but then, at the same time, our last moments pass by very quickly. The last few minutes we spend together alone in this locked bedroom are among the very few I wish to keep in my heart forever, something I do not want to reveal to anyone. When the time comes that they are over and he gets off the bed, unlocking the door, I have accepted the situation in its entirety.

"Well," he says, "now it's time to get serious."

"Yes," I say, taking his hand and giving it a final squeeze.

"Almost forgot!" he says, his eyebrows raising on his forehead. He lets go of my hand and grabs my bow and quiver. "Here you are," he says, handing them to me.

"Thanks," I mumble, slinging the quiver around my shoulder once again.

"No problem," Gale replies.

He opens the door and we run out together. As an instinct, I look down at my patch and find the tenth dot has turned to gray.


	23. 23

**A/N: I'm happy I got to update pretty quickly this time. Like I've been telling you, your reviews really do make me work faster. They encourage me. Sometimes, when I'm having writer's block, I look and read my newest reviews and smile. It always keeps me going. Anyway, thank you so much again! Please read and enjoy! Oh, and please review ;) thanks.**

(23)

"Gale," I say quietly.

"Yes?" he replies swiftly.

"Check your patch."

I see his eyes float down to the patch. His eyes widen when he notices the tenth dot.

"Gale, who's number ten?"

"Annie. Beetee. Cinna. Effie. Finnick. Gale. Haymitch. Johanna. You…" he trails off and curses. "It's Leanore."

The world halts. _Leanore? She's… dead?_ My brain questions me wildly. I cannot ask this question aloud. I feel my heartbeat rise and I try to calm myself but find I am unable to.

Gale exhales and takes in the situation. "No…" he says, taking in deep breaths. "Where's Revelyn?" he asks me.

I cannot breathe. It's like I lose my breath and my head is falling down to a bottomless pit. I get woozy and lose my footing. Luckily, Gale is able to catch me and support me to stand up.

"Katniss," he says, beginning to understand what's happening. "Did you leave Revelyn with Leanore?"

"I thought she would be safe!" I yell.

He pulls me back into the bedroom. "Be quiet!" he whispers fiercely.

I take a breath and count to ten.

"Katniss… did you leave Revelyn with Leanore?" he repeats.

"Yes," I say.

He curses again. "Well, now we have to go find her."

"Revelyn?" I ask.

Gale just nods and puts a finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet.

Together we walk out again. We both move quickly on soft feet, Gale at a slightly faster pace than me. We reach the tree entrance underground and luckily, so far, we have seen no one and no one has seen us. Gale touches the tree and it says "Voice Identification" very loudly. I bite my lip.

"Gale Hawthorne," he replies in a barely audible whisper. I wonder if the tree can hear even him.

"You're clear," it says back, at a quieter volume. I silently thank the tree for taking a hint.

We jump underground and Gale and I run for the elevator. No one is in sight underground and it's very eerie. I quickly press the button for Level Two and descend very deep down.

"Level Two: Maintenance," the elevator announces in a cheery tone. Gale and I step out of the elevator and absorb the sickening silence. The doors of the elevator close behind us and the elevator arises up to the surface, leaving us here. Nothing is moving. The glass just sits where it is, polished and clean. We hear nothing and see nothing but what is already built in on the level. The only sound is the fast beating of our hearts and the deep breathing of our lungs. The level is cold and a chill runs down my spine.

"Leanore?" I whisper quietly as Gale and I walk down the platform that leads us by the locked rooms. He opens the glass door and leaves fingerprints on it. My heart begins pounding. "Gale," I say, turning to him, my eyes wide.

"What?" he says, holding the door open for me to step through.

"Look." I point to his fingerprints on the door.

He realizes seconds later what I mean. "There aren't any others," he says, his jaw dropping.

"And I doubt the cleaning man has had a chance to clean this door since the hovercraft landed…" I say. Panic sets in. I run through the door and Gale follows me. Nervously, I bang on every door. Door 1: silence. Door 2: silence. Door 3: silence.

"Dear God, where is my daughter?!" I scream, pounding on Door 4.

All of sudden, I hear a faint murmur inside the locked room.

"Revelyn?" I call out inside.

Another sound, more desperate than the first.

"Leanore? Are you in there?"

I hear another noise.

"Gale, we need to open this door!" I call to him behind my shoulder.

"Katniss, I don't know if you can do that. I thought they locked from the inside," he replies.

"No. Come on. There's got to be a way. Maybe there's some sort of switch that deactivates the rooms and unlocks them, otherwise a helpless person stuck on the inside could never get out," I say frantically.

"Ok," he says. He turns around and searches for something on the walls. Then suddenly he stops. "Katniss," he says, "I think I found something."

I run over to him. He is in the center of this circle of locked rooms. There is a control panel and a chair there. "What is it?" I ask, coming up behind him.

He is sitting at the chair and looking at the buttons. "Well, I think that this controls the rooms. Look, there are twenty-four of them and…"

"Oh shut up! Just press number four!" I yell.

"Jeez, no reason to get angry," he replies. "I think that this button will reset the fourth room, but I can't guarantee anything. You don't know what it will do." He pauses. "It seems to easy!"

"Do we really have a choice?" I meet his eyes.

"I guess not," he answers.

I look from him to the button and back to him again. Without any build-up, I slap the button marked with the number four. All of a sudden, I hear the release of a door and I run over to it. No one comes out, so I go inside.

I'm shocked to find Finnick on the ground, tied up and gagged. Immediately, I drop down and untie the gag from around his mouth. I work it loose with my fingers and pull it off. Finnick breathes in deeply, choking a little on something stuck in his throat. He swallows deeply and pants.

Gale comes running in and faces Finnick. "What happened?" he exclaims.

I take a few steps back from Finnick to give him room to breathe. He inhales and exhales for a minute or so and then finally says, "They got in."

"Who is 'they?'" I shoot back as soon as he gets those three words out.

"The Capitol people. I don't know how." Finnick pauses. "Leanore and I got off the elevator with Revelyn and they came up from behind us. They hit me over the head and knocked me to the ground. Then they tied me up and shut me in this room." He looks over to Gale and adds, "Don't step inside. You never know when the doors can close again. In fact, Katniss, please don't stay in here. I can get up by myself."

I step out of the room and stand up next to Gale. "What happened to Leanore and Revelyn?" I ask.

"I'm not sure," Finnick answers, touching a nasty bruise on his forehead. He gets up on one knee and tries to stand up. "The last I saw was the men ushering Leanore away with Revelyn. The baby was screaming. Completely terrified!"

I feel my heart jump around in my body. It's like a motherly instinct is kicking in for the first time. I can't say I like the fact that it is telling me to run away from this place and find Revelyn, no matter what the cost or dangers. I wonder if my mother ever felt like this before.

A memory comes back to me from my youth. I am in the Meadow and my mother pulling my hand. I'm wearing an orange dress that goes down to my knees. I could swear I've seen my sister wear this exact dress. My guess is that I can't be older than six. I let go of my mother's grip and begin to skip through the fields, the grass tickling my legs with every step, brushing against the fine hairs. I'm laughing because I feel like the grass blades are individual people, reaching out to touch me, to tickle me the way my father used to do.

Then I see a dark figure ahead. My skipping stops. I see it looming. I'm not sure what it is, only that my instinct is telling me I need to run, run far away. I'm about to whimper when I turn. My mother is there. She wraps her arms around me and picks me up. She carries me back to the house at an even pace. My gray eyes begin to well with tears.

We make it back to the house and she sets me down on the floor. I feel my face flush red and the tears make my face wet. I bite my finger and my mother looks at me. She crouches down to my eye level and says, "Don't cry, Kat. It's ok now. Mommy's going to take care of you." She wraps her arms around me and the crying ceases.

How I remember this, I'm not sure. I don't even know if this memory is real or not. I don't know why it's coming back to me now at this crucial moment. But, real or not real, planned or random, this memory has taught me one thing: what's most important. I need to find Revelyn.

"Gale," I say, turning to him. "We need to go. Now."

"What about Finnick?" he replies.

"I'm sorry, Finnick," I say, looking at him struggle to stand. "I've got to find my daughter."

"Understandable," Finnick replies. "I'll join you if you wish. Just need to stop to get my trident."

"Trident?" Gale says, raising his eyebrows and looking at Finnick.

"Yes," says Finnick, getting to his feet finally. "It's my weapon of choice," he pronounces with a mischievous grin.

I roll my eyes at him and look to Gale. "Alright! Let's go." I run out of the circle of rooms, down the platform and onto the elevator, not bothering to look back and see who has joined me. Seconds later, though, I find myself in the elevator with Finnick and Gale.

"Going up, eh?" Finnick says, looking at the illuminated arrow pointed upwards.

"Not necessarily. Where should we go?" Gale asks.

I put my hand to my face and look over the names. Where would the Capitol be hiding my daughter?

Finnick presses the button for Level Nine. He ponders over Gale's question for a couple seconds then smiles. "I know where they are," he announces.

"Oh?" I say. "Where?"

The elevator doors close and we shoot up seven levels. The elevator dings, announces the level and Finnick hops out. "Stay here! I'll be right back." He runs around the corner, disappears for a few seconds, and then comes back, carrying a magnificent trident. I'd hate to be Finnick's enemy. His face is positively glowing with the excitement of his weapon. I've never seen anyone react to a weapon in such a way.

"Ok. Where are they?" Gale asks impatiently has Finnick closes the door behind him.

"Where else would they be?" Finnick grins from ear to ear. "Level One: Control Center. Powerhouse of the underground District. Controls everything that occurs below and above the surface," Finnick says glancing up. "Now come on! We've got to hurry." He presses the button for Level One and we fall down into the dark abyss of District 13.


	24. 24

**A/N: Hooray! I'm back. Amid writer's block, a busy schedule and increasing disinterest in finishing this book, I have decided that the only right thing I can do right now is finish this. I'm fairly certain that I will be updating this story within the next week. You can expect that the novel will be over within the next few weeks. There are probably only three or four chapters left. I do hope that you haven't lost interest in this book as much as I have. I apologize for not updating. Please read and review, but most of all, enjoy.**

(24)

"Level One: Control Center," the female voice says in a chipper tone. I want to strangle whoever recorded these announcements. The doors whoosh open and Finnick hops out first. Gale and I exchange glances before following him.

Stepping off the elevator, I see that this level is different from all the others. Every level I've been on has had clear glass, while Level One is entirely black. I am immediately drawn to it for some reason and I examine the glass closely. It appears to have precious stones inside. There are, in fact, tiny specks of jewels inside the glass. They remind me of the ones the people in District One make for the Capitol.

"Katniss," Finnick whispers. Gale has already disappeared beyond a door and only Finnick's head is poking out.

"Yes?" I say, looking up at him. My voice sounds like I'm waking from a dream.

"Let's go," he says, not impatiently, nodding towards the other side of the door.

"Hold on," I say dreamily, turning my head back to the stones. They twinkle like stars in the night. "Finnick," I say to him without turning around. He doesn't reply. I go on, "they're so pretty…"

Suddenly, a hand clasps over my shoulder. The impact takes me by surprise, so I turn around and find Finnick gripping me, moving my body away from the jewels. _Jewels._ My reaction is uncontrollable. I'm angry at Finnick for making me stop looking at them. An unidentifiable force pulls my shoulder away from him and brings me back to the jewels. I continue to stare at them.

All of a sudden, I hear a whisper. "Go home, Katniss. Return to the ashes of District 12 and you will find what you have lost. The tricky death of one who you thought was gone forever was never true. The Capitol works in deceiving ways, for death does not bring them what they want. Go, Katniss. Go!"

"Katniss!" Finnick yells. My head is all woozy and I feel the ground come fast to me. The pull of the jewels is gone. I lay on the ground, collapsed in an awkward position that should bother me, but doesn't. Finnick is wrapping his arms around me. He is sitting me up, but I don't feel it. I'm concentrating on what I just heard. _Return to the ashes of District 12 and you will find what you have lost. The tricky death of one who you thought was gone forever was never true._ What does that mean? Did I imagine it all?

"Katniss," he snaps his fingers in front of my face. My eyes focus towards his hands. One is in front of me, waving, snapping, whooshing back and forth in an attempt to break me of the trance I've fallen into. The other is holding my waist very tightly, the pressure causing me to gasp for air.

"Finnick," I say wearily.

"YES!" he yells, excited that I'm addressing him.

"You're… you're hurting my side," I stammer.

Finnick looks down to his hand and sees the tight grip he has on it. "Sorry," he mumbles gruffly and releases me, moving his hand. I fall back through the air. For a moment I feel weightless. It's as if I am falling in slow motion. Gradually I feel the air rush from underneath me, the glass floors coming fast towards my head. Somewhere, deep inside of me, I recognize the panic and use all of my energy to break the fall by forcing myself up. Light-headed, my attempt fails.

The ground crashes into me and I feel the blood rushing in my face. A drip of red falls down from the top of my forehead, the place of impact. _How am I still conscious?_ I wonder to myself. Finnick breathes in sharply and looks down at me. "Katniss?" he asks, shaking my side. "Katniss, are you alright?"

My eyes close, but I manage to talk to him, to say one thing, "No." I feel him sit me up again. He brushes the hair out of my face and wipes off some blood from my forehead with his shirt.

"Can you stand?" he asks me.

I shake my head.

Finnick is probably panicking. If the situation was reversed, I have no idea what I would do. I hear him call for Gale. He rushes over to where I have fallen and asks Finnick to step aside. I hear Gale's heavy breathing. I smell his sweat and feel his arms rush around me. He must have noticed the blood by now, because I sense his thumb gently rub across it. And then I feel his lips. They touch my forehead for no more than three seconds and then he breaks away, withdrawing from the warmth of being so close. My eyes flutter open and I see him there, worried and stunned.

"Are you going to be ok?" he asks me.

I support my weight with my arms and sit up to face him. "Yeah," I say unconvincingly.

Finnick looks at me and then he looks at Gale. "We need to go," he whispers frantically.

Gale looks up over Finnick's shoulder and breathes in deeply. "We're too late."

I turn around and see soldiers march out of the glass doors. At that very second, I feel a very familiar feeling, a feeling of impending doom. The world seems to run in slow motion. Finnick swiftly runs towards the soldiers and swings his trident at a row of them. I begin to hear sounds of pain. My eardrums are ringing. Gale swoops down and picks me up in his arms. He runs for the elevator and just closes the door before I hear gunfire.

Gunfire. Finnick. Surely even he can't take down all those soldiers if any of them have guns. Gale places me down on the ground and I lean my back against the side of the elevator. He is looking out the glass door. He pushes a button, but then frantically pushes another, trying to open the doors. I hear the shots. They get louder and louder. Suddenly, there is a crash. Glass splatters everywhere. It lands in my legs and a few pieces hit my arms. I manage to tuck my head under my arms just in time to stop the glass from hitting my face. Gale is yelling at the elevator to move. The elevator ascends rapidly and I nearly throw up.

It takes me a moment to register how much pain I'm in. I look at my legs and pick out a particularly large piece of glass, blood spurting out of the cut. I must be in such a daze that I hardly recognize that Finnick is lying in front of me.

I look at him and say quietly, "Finnick?" almost as if I'm a child asking a question.

A very bloody Finnick rolls onto his back, howling in pain. Gale is breathing heavily and I watch as he drops to the ground. Finnick must have jumped through the glass. Of course, his trident made the initial impact, but the glass shards were all inside of his skin.

"Finnick, you idiot!" Gale screams at him.

"They… shot," he says feebly.

I take a look at his face. Finnick's beautiful face has a long cut down his right cheek. It starts at his eye level and continues down to the base of his chin. I shudder, knowing that will be a scar.

"Are you ok?" Gale asks. "Can you move your legs?"

Finnick makes an attempt to kick his foot and it moves slowly across the floor. "Yeah," he says with a moan.

A rush of cool air hits me as the elevator doors open on Level 24. The breeze makes me shiver and I start to feel faint as the blood continues to pour out of my skin. "Gale?" I look to him as he helps Finnick to his feet.

Finnick stands next to Gale with his arm around Gale's back for support. "Yes?" Gale answers.

"What are we going to do?" I bit my lip and try to refocus my energy from my injuries to what I need to do next.

"I'll take Finnick someplace safe. You should go…" he trails off.

"Go… what? Go… where? Gale, please!" I cry in desperation.

"Fight, Katniss. Go fight," he decides. Before I can answer, he ascends to the surface with Finnick.

I reach for an arrow and prepare to fight. Then I hear the first shot above ground. It rings for a few seconds. Then comes another. I take a deep breath and shoot up.

I'm hiding behind a bush as the shots become more frequent and louder. I just manage to see Gale and Finnick hobbling into a house. I watch carefully from my shelter for a few minutes. Gale comes running out of the house and locks it behind him. He has a new gun with him. I wonder if he can see me. He must be able to because he runs over and joins me behind the bush.

"Are you alright?" he asks me.

I can't tell him the truth. "Yeah," I say. "The better question is are _you_ alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," he responds swiftly.

"How are we going to get to Revelyn?" I ask the question that has been bothering me all along. I don't dare ask _how do we still know she's alive?_

Gale hesitates and looks away from me. "I think we need defeat the Capitol first. I mean, I know that you're concerned but let's think about this logically…"

"NO! I will NOT think about this logically!" I yell at him, cutting off his sentence.

"Katniss, keep your voice down!" Gale whispers sharply.

It's as if chills run up my spine. I realized I've stood up and the shots have abruptly stopped. Turning around, the blood still trickling from my legs, the horror of the moment explodes in my face. There is no one to be seen for miles, but just on the other side of the bush is a body, the body of Mayor Bauer, his skin white and his face covered in blood.

* * *

**A/N: I won't lie. At the end of the second day I posted this, I cried that I had only gotten one review. So please, if you can, make my day and just drop a tiny note. Thank you.**


	25. 25

**A/N: Another chapter in just two days. Please read, review and enjoy!**

(25)

My immediate reaction is one of horror and disbelief. Mayor Bauer is in fact lying dead upon the ground and not a single noise is heard except the heavy breathing of Gale and me.

"What the hell?" Gale says under his breath, standing up to have a look at what I've seen. He puts a hand to his mouth and bites down on one of his fingers to keep himself from screaming. Gale turns around and takes me with him in the opposite direction from Bauer's body. "Oh my God," he repeats over and over again in an undertone.

I can't breathe the normal way. My breath comes in short gasps of air and I feel like the pit of my stomach has just dropped. "What's going on?" I get out after a few moments of shock.

Gale recovers soon after me and answers, "I have no idea, but we need to get out of here." He looks past the Mayor's body and out at the houses. How is it possible that there is not a peep from any one of the thousands of people in District 13? Slowly, we walk towards a house that appears empty from the outside. Gale grabs my hand and I can feel our pulses beating wildly as he cracks open the door. A shot rings out and an exclamation of extreme pain breaks the sickening silence. I look to Gale and his eyes are wide with fear, his face completely ashen.

From the inside of the house calls a voice, "Put your weapons down now and come over here or another one gets slaughtered!"

My mouth opens in terror. I realize that someone inside the house has just been shot dead. On impulse, I check my patch. All but the tenth dot are still bright red. Gale releases my hand and places his gun on the ground. I follow his lead and put my quiver and bow beside it.

"Good," I hear the voice say. "Now put your hands on your head and walk back here. No funny business, got it?" the voices says malevolently.

"Can it see— " I begin.

"—Shh! No talking!" it cuts me off.

Gale and I place our hands upon our heads and walk at a snail's pace down the narrow entranceway of the house. Floorboards creek. We come to a door that leads to the kitchen. Gale touches the handle, but finds it locked, so we continue down the hallway until we come to the living room. We turn to face the voice.

It's just a common soldier. His boots are polished. His gray uniform appears ironed. He must be straight out of the Capitol. This man has never known harm, has never experienced serious pain, hurt or hunger. I look to the ground and see the misshapen figure of a man covered in blood. My jaw drops and remains in a fixed position as I examine him with my eyes.

"You just killed a man," I say to the solider. "You just KILLED someone!" I say louder to get my point across.

"Only orders!" he answers stiffly.

I look around to the other people in the room. There is a woman, tied and bound to a chair with a gag in her mouth. Huddled in the corner are two small boys, both no older than ten. They are dressed in torn rags, eyes irritated and red, feet bare and bloody. Gale eyes them and shudders. I remember the horrible deaths of his younger brothers. Seeing these children is more than I can handle.

"Are you going to kill them too?" I say, gesturing with my head towards the boys in the corner. They look up into the soldiers eyes. For a brief moment I watch their eyes meet and I can almost hear the soldier's heartbeat.

"I'll tell you what," Gale murmurs. He runs forward and kicks the soldier in the jaw. He punches him repeatedly in the face until he finally falls to the ground, unconscious. "No," Gale says with finality. He runs over to untie the gag from the woman's mouth. She goes for her children as soon as he gets the knots out. They are crying. I would too if my tears hadn't already run dry.

"What happened?" Gale asks the woman quietly.

She chokes back her sobs and answers, "We surrendered."

"Surrendered?" I repeat, stunned.

"Yes. They put a gun to the Mayor's head and everybody was running. Oh, it was terrible. They were running and then the soldiers… the soldiers were shooting their guns. Many people were killed. They carried them off to a house and tossed them into a pile, leaving the Mayor's body. Then they got everyone into our homes and tied us up, I guess. Well, at least, we were tied up. I'm not sure about the others. Are you going to help us?" the woman finishes. She stares me in the eyes as she wraps her arms around her boys.

"Where is President Snow?" I ask, going towards the front of the house.

"I think I saw him go into the town hall," she says, hanging her head down.

"I'm going to find him," I say through clenched teeth, picking up my weapon, "and kill him."

I hear steps coming after me. "I'm with her," Gale says, taking his gun. I look to him and smile. I can hardly believe I'm smiling with everything that is occurring simultaneously, but I think that just having the support of Gale is enough to carry me through the most difficult of times. I try to remember every other instance of danger I've been in since I was reaped for the 74th Hunger Games. Gale was never there behind me until now and with him I feel like I can accomplish anything. It's almost as if President Snow has become our game.

We step out of the house and head straight for the town hall. I have an arrow ready as Gale cautiously opens the door to the front. We carefully walk in together and I hear shouts from the level above. They aren't just any shouts though. I know exactly who they belong to. Madge.

"Don't!" she yells. Gale bounds up the stairs as soon as he hears her voice. "Please. NO!" she screams in horror. I am tempted to stop him, realizing that he might make a foolish move and bound into the room unprepared. Then I look up and regret that I didn't because he has gone and done just that. I run up the stairs and follow after him, stopping at the door to have a peek inside.

"Put the knife down!" I hear Gale shout. Looking through the space in the door, I can only see his back and his gun, aimed at some person in the room.

"Look at her beautiful face, Hawthorne. Such a pity there will be a scar from here to here," a raspy male voice says with a snarl.

"You wouldn't!" Gale says, dropping his gun slightly.

"Oh, I promise you," the voice says with so much malice it makes me sick, "I will."

I can't take it anymore. I bolt inside, see the figure with the knife, and shoot an arrow through its heart. He falls to the ground. I step into the light to get a better look at him. Years of killing game and surviving two Hunger Games has hardened my heart to death. I see just another Capitol man, nothing more.

Madge hops up from her chair and wrap her arms around me. "Thank you," she says in my ear. "Katniss, you need to listen to me. They killed Bauer, they've taken Peeta hostage, and now they're looking for you. I don't know what happened to the others. Finnick disappeared and your father… oh, I don't know what really happened. Johanna was whispering to me, but then they took her to another room. You can't stay in here. Once they get you, they get what they came for."

"I know," I respond. My head is whirling with thoughts. Peeta, my father, Johanna… where are they?

Madge releases me and runs over to Gale, who embraces her. She appears unharmed, so I count my blessings for that. I knock another arrow and step out of the room, walking down the hallway. Madge comes after me and places a hand on my shoulder. "You can't be in this building!" she says fiercely.

"Is this where Peeta is?" I say back.

"Most likely," she answers quietly.

"Then I need to be here," I tell her, and just like that, I dash down the hall, leaving Gale and Madge behind. I immediately go for the double doors at the end of the hallway. It seems like it would be the best place to keep an important hostage. How I determined this, I have no idea. I press my ear against the door and find that I cannot hear anything from inside. I turn the handle and creep inside.

The lights are off, but I hear noises. The room is quite large and there is another one attached on the left side. A shining light comes from that direction and I hear voices there as well. I step as quietly as I can towards the other room. The door to it is open just a crack, so I'm sure they won't see me coming. I still try to walk silently.

"Hello, Katniss."

My heart skips a beat as a turn around. There he is; not Peeta, but President Snow. I should have known by his smell. Today, the blood is more prominent than the roses. He is sitting on a couch in the middle of the room, his feet kicked up on the glass coffee table.

"So happy you could join us," he continues. "Peeta was missing you."

I bite my lip and turn around to point my arrow towards his heart.

"No, no, no…" Snow says as if talking to a child. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?" There is a slight pause before he says, "Bring him in."

Peeta walks in the room and the lights are switched on. I connect eyes with him. I watch his blue eyes adjust to the light. He frowns, looking at me. "Kat— " he starts, but cannot finish. Some kind of invisible force stops him from speaking. A soldier walks in carrying two syringes.

"You see," President Snow sneers, "the two of you denied us a good fight for Victor in the 74th Games."

Peeta breaks into a coughing fit and I turn to him in surprise. I almost want to go over to him and pat him on the back to stop his coughing, but I'm sure I would be stopped by someone or something. "Yes?" I encourage Snow to go on.

"Now is the time," he says mysteriously.

"For what?" I ask getting annoyed as Peeta finally stops coughing. I'm startled to see he's coughed some blood into his hands.

"A Victor showdown," says Snow with contempt.

"You want us to fight each other?" I ask, eyebrows rising.

"Indeed," he answers.

"And you think we'll do that willingly?" I continue.

"Oh heavens no!" Snow laughs. "That's why we have these." President Snow calls the soldier forward and he takes the syringes, one in each hand. "This should do the trick. It will be interesting to see which of you kills the other first."

"Kill?" I ask, feeling hysterical. My heart rate rises.

"Of course," Snow says. He picks up something from the table and I see a blade glint. He hands Peeta a knife. "What you are about to experience is exactly what we've been giving some of the tributes of the Hunger Games all along. Even Mr. Mellark here has had a dose of this before. You will feel… different," he says. He hands the syringes back to the soldier and walks towards the door to the attached room.

"Almost forgot," he calls back as the soldier sticks the syringe into my arm. "Happy Hunger Games!" I feel the drug go into my body and this uncontrollable rage begins. I forget who I am. I forget where I am. I forget who this boy across from me is. The soldier sticks a needle up his arm and then runs away into another room. I look down at the ground, breathe in heavily, then flit my eyes back up to the boy. My eyes meet his. They are charcoal black. Sixty seconds pass and then we raise our weapons. I hear the gong sound.


	26. 26

**A/N: This chapter went on a little long. Read, review and enjoy!**

(26)

I pull my arrow back and aim right for the boy's heart. I want to kill. Kill him. Kill the boy. He ducks down and darts around a couch. I feel anger. I feel pain. I feel the need to kill. He stands up from behind it and I let go of the bowstring. My arrow goes flying straight towards his chest but he moves just in time. I curse on the inside as the arrow hits the wall. I run over to retrieve it, snarling at the fact that he is not dead yet. He must be dead. The boy comes charging towards me. He rams right into my body and knocks me onto the floor. He is so close now, I can smell blood. I flip around before he can raise his knife to me. I get up, disregarding the cuts on my legs. I look for weaknesses in the boy and note that he has a prosthetic leg. If I can disarm him and knock him down, I'd be able to…

_Crash!_ An older boy and a girl barge into the room and knock over a lamp. The boy with the prosthetic leg runs for the other side of the room. The girl screams and the other boy comes running for me. I ready my arrow. I am just about to release it when the boy with the knife rams into my side. The other boy kicks the boy with the knife and he falls down. I see him grab the knife from him. He holds the knife against my throat and says, "Drop the bow."

I don't think he would dare cut my throat so I push him back and point the arrow at his head. He hits me and my bow flies out of my hands. "Katniss!" he yells at me. The name sounds familiar. "Katniss! I'm Gale. Gale!"

Gale. My head swarms around as I search for a place to attach that name to. Then before I know it, he's kissing me. Feelings come flooding back. Yes, I know Gale. I'm kissing him back. After a few seconds, I remember who I am and who he is. That's when I step back. "Gale, I…"

"Don't say anything," he says to me. I look to the ground and see Peeta lying there. He stands up and looks at Gale. Before I can do anything, Peeta punches Gale in the face. Blood comes out of Gale's mouth. I grab Peeta from behind so he can't throw another punch.

"Peeta," I say, holding his arms in a locked position. "Calm down."

He looks at me, his eyes still black.

"It's me, Katniss," I say to him. It takes him less than a second to realize who I am.

"Oh jeez… What was I thinking?" he realizes. I watch his eyes change color. They turn from the cruel black to a brilliant sea blue.

I hear a door swing open on the other side of the room. President Snow walks out. I take my bow in hand and knock another arrow, aimed straight at his heart.

"Now, now… before you shoot, I think you should know the consequences of your actions," Snow says. "You see, right now, all of your dearest friends with exception to the ones in this room are bound to chairs with a soldier pointing a gun to their forehead. If you shoot, my soldier will give the signal to kill them all simultaneously."

"I don't believe it!" I yell back.

"Vedran," President Snow calls to the soldier behind him. The name sounds familiar to me. I could swear I heard it before. "You know what to do."

Vedran punches something on his radio and then I hear a shot ring out from behind one of the doors. I check my patch and see that the 4th dot is gray. Effie.

"Believe me now?" says President Snow.

My breath comes fast and I feel shaky. I feel the need to collapse. I rest my hand on Peeta's shoulder for strength and nod at Snow. I slowly let my bow down and glare at Snow. Then in one swift motion, I spring it back up again and send an arrow straight through Vedran's stomach. He falls in agony and so does his radio.

"Big mistake," Snow pronounces and takes a gun out of his jacket. He aims it at my head. I duck beneath the couch and so do Peeta, Gale and Madge. The shot is fired and it hits the wall behind us. Snow gets frustrated and runs around the couch. The four of us pounce up and run to avoid his shot. He shoots at Madge, but she is quick enough to get away from it. Then he fires at Peeta and misses by a long shot. I reload my bow and aim an arrow for his head. He drops to the ground to avoid my shot.

Before I know what's happening, he jumps up and aims one last shot, a shot that doesn't miss. The bullet hits Gale's leg and he drops to the ground, yelling in pain. It's almost as if time slows down. Madge runs to Gale and I shoot another arrow at Snow which misses him again. The president dashes out of the room through the double doors. As soon as he has cleared out, I drop my bow and run over to Gale. He is moaning in pain, thrashing his arms around.

Then, in a moment, he stops and I hear the creek of a door from behind me. I can hardly believe who is in standing right before us. It's Leanore and in her hands is Revelyn. My heart lightens a great deal as she motions me in the direction out the door. Peeta and I lift Gale up and he seems like he is drifting out of consciousness. A worried Madge follows along the sides. I hear fighting taking place outside; noise of gunshots, punching, pain and fear.

We step outside and I'm so shocked to see that the members of the district have been marched outside, their hands bound in the back. However, several people have gotten loose. I watch as Johanna kicks over several soldiers and takes on an extremely tall man with just a dagger. I see Morrison from afar shooting off a gun. It surprises me to find that Finnick has rejoined the action, fending off soldiers with his trident. Along with them are many other rebels in District 13, taking a major risk to fight for the rebellion.

Leanore directs us up a hill to get away from the violence. "I'd keep him here," she says, instructing Peeta and me to place Gale on a soft bed of grass at the top of the hill. We put him down softly and his eyes close. I drop to the ground and inspect the wound. I need my mother to treat this. Maybe even Prim would do a much better job than I would. I wrap up Gale's wound and tell Madge to stay with him to stop the bleeding.

"No," Leanore says with a worried look. "Madge, you should follow me. I need some help hiding Revelyn. Peeta should stay here while Katniss goes to fight. Trust me."

Madge agrees with a worried look and Leanore walks off with her beyond the hill to a secret entrance to underground. I look to Peeta.

"Is he going to be alright?" I ask him.

"Well, I don't know anything about gunshot wounds, but if you want my honest opinion, I don't think this is as bad as it could be," he answers. "Snow barely got him and it wasn't in the veins, it was more in the fat or muscle, or whatever this is here. Gale should be just fine," Peeta says, pointing to his leg, reassuring me. "Trust me, he won't need a leg like mine," he says, glancing down at his prosthetic leg.

"Thank you," I tell him with a faint smile. I take my bow and run down the hill.

So many things happen in one moment. I reach the bottom of the hill and aim an arrow at one of the soldiers. I let it fly at him and he falls to the ground. Another soldier comes up behind me and I kick him. Another one attacks at my front and knocks me to the ground. He aims his gun at me and just when I think there's a chance something might happen to me, the soldier drops to the ground, dead. From behind him steps forward Haymitch, a knife in his hand.

"I've always wondered what your weapon of choice was, Haymitch," I say to him gratefully as he offers me a hand up.

"Always been a sharp blade, sweetheart," he says, hoisting me up.

"Indeed," a voice says. I feel Haymitch's grip slacken and I fall back. I watch as he collapses to the ground, the smell of blood wafting up to my nose. My heart skips a beat. From behind Haymitch steps President Snow with a giant smirk on his face. I can hardly believe what he has just done. Getting a closer look at him, I see he is dressed in full body armor with mesh stopping anything from penetrating his flesh. I look at the end of my feet. In a sickening moment, I realize what has just happened. There, a body has slumped over me, the body of Haymitch. An ax juts out of his back.

I scream.

President Snow starts trekking up the hill towards Gale and Peeta. I begin to follow him but then he swings around and pulls out a gun. Before I can move, he shoots it and the impact of the bullet is enough to knock me out. The shot is in my arm and the blood already begins to pour out. I panic and look for something to stop the bleeding, in the end just tearing a piece of my shirt off. Everything is spinning. I cannot concentrate on one thing.

I see President Snow on the hill. He is kicking Peeta and the gun comes out again. I'm so afraid he'll shoot it, but in the end, he doesn't. Instead it is lodged into Peeta's skull. He looks too weak to move. I see that Gale has gained consciousness again. His eyes flicker open, but President Snow grabs his head and pulls his body up against Peeta. Another gun comes out. The two of them are back to back, helpless, with guns against their heads.

Time stops as the horror of the moment sinks in. President Snow is standing there in his full body armor with a gun to both Peeta's and Gales' head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Finnick slit one more throat and then everyone is eerily quiet, directing their attention to the man on the top of the hill, the man with the two guns.

"Alright," he says quietly. Somehow, I hear him. "Who will it be first? Peeta or Gale? Your adoring husband or your charming cousin?"

I breathe in deeply, assessing the situation. With my wound, there is no way that I can run up to stop Snow and everyone else is too far away. Johanna, Morrison and Finnick are all behind me and the only person closer to President Snow than them is Gale's dad. I don't know if he'll do anything to stop Snow from murdering his son.

That's when I see her. I see Leanore walk right up behind Snow, a gun in her hand. Very silently, she creeps up and pulls the gun to his head. He whispers something to her and she nods, hissing back, "Trust me." Why would Snow be addressing her? And furthermore, why would Leanore tell him to trust her? Surprisingly, he lowers both his guns. Then, he hands one to Leanore. "Get back to the hovercraft," she orders him around like an Avox.

He hesitates, but then turns to leave, saying, "Get her where it hurts." She nods and then he runs. To my absolute horror, she raises the guns back to my friends' heads.

"Traitor!" I yell before I have a chance to think.

Leanore lets out a maniacal laugh, a sound I thought she was incapable of making. "You are a fool, Katniss Everdeen."

"Am I?" I glare at her.

"Haymitch spotted me traveling to District 13, so I told him I was heading there to support the rebellion, to find a better life. Think I would be traveling the wilderness on my own? NO. The Capitol placed me there. President Snow said I had to go into the action, get close to you so you would trust me and to pass on your plans to him."

"Why did you do it?" I call out.

"Because he had my mother…" she says, trailing off.

"Your mother?"  
"Yes. A few months ago, she mysteriously went missing. Our whole town was all in a panic, losing one of the smartest scientists in the District. Rumors had it that the President came by and picked up my mother to use her to make something for the Games, something similar to those muttations from the 74th Games. I'm convinced he does. He shows me tapes of her, recordings of her voice, evidence that she is alive, everything except her. He says that as soon as I finish my mission, I'll get her back. I'm finishing my mission now, once and for all!"

"Why didn't Snow know about us rescuing people out of the arena?" I wonder aloud.

"He did. It was my job to get a certain person into the arena so that he could kill that person. Unfortunately, she had some sense talked into her," Leanore snarls.

"It was me, wasn't it? Snow told you to get close to me so you could lead me to my death."

"Exactly," she says with a sneer.

"Hold on a second! Why did you try to give me the sleeping draft?" I question her.

"The draft had a special concentration that would have kept you asleep right up until the rescue started. I intended you to wake up and be confused, that way you'd be more likely to do what I wanted you to, more likely to enter that arena. But you turned the tables on me, Katniss. I guess you're smarter than I thought."

"Why? Why, Leanore? I trusted you," I stammer.

"Well of course you trusted me," her voice changes to the sweet little girl she'd been portraying all the while. "Who wouldn't trust a poor helpless girl?"

It takes me a second before I realize, "My father."

"Precisely. He wouldn't let me near you despite all my efforts. You went to the bathroom at the wedding and I was following you. He cut me off on the way, saying I shouldn't be awake so late. Hostile man, your father is," she says.

"My father is not hostile!" I retort.

"It took a lot of convincing to even get to bring in those cookies to you."

My mind flits back to the sugar cookies Leanore brought me all those months ago. I remember Gale interrupted that visit. If he hadn't come, what would have happened next? What about all those times that I left Revelyn with Leanore? I've been leaving my child with a person who was instructed to have me killed. I wonder what she's be doing to my daughter.

Before I can say anything, she continues, "But there was one man who trusted me, one very foolish man who lies right there in the mud. Pity he had to die."

I glance over at Haymitch who looks nothing more than drunk. Haymitch can't be dead. I won't allow it. Looking down at my patch, the color of his dot is not promising.

"The war is already lost for you. It was lost before it began. Through the grace of President Snow's heart, we won't blow up your pathetic town. Instead, you shall suffer as so many people have suffered. Starvation, my friends! These are the real Hunger Games!" Leanore cackles.

Finnick raises his trident and takes aim at her throat.

"Finnick," she says, seeing the wild look in his eyes, "killing me won't do anything."

He doesn't drop his weapon, but he calms down on the inside. "Step away from them," Finnick orders, pointing the ends of his trident at Gale and Peeta.

Leanore smiles, "I'm afraid I can't do that. I was given orders that I have to follow. Katniss, it's your time to make a choice."

I look up at her, Leanore, the girl I trusted. Fine. If she wants to play games, I'll play games. "What are my options?" I gulp down my saliva, trying to keep my throat from drying out, trying to stop myself from appearing weak even though the pain in my arm is unbearable.

"Peeta Mellark," she says, digging the gun deeper into Peeta's forehead, "or Gale Hawthorne."

I look at Gale. Blood is still trickling out of his mouth and his face has turned completely pale. His leg is bleeding profusely. I shift my gaze to Peeta. He doesn't appear very hurt except for a few cuts around his face, but I can tell he is too weak to do anything about his situation.

"I don't have forever," Leanore says. "Decide."

I meet eyes with Peeta. He knows I will never say a name. He swallows deeply then opens his mouth to make the biggest sacrifice.

"Let it be me," a voice says. It is not Peeta's.

"That's easy," Leanore says with a cold heart.

A shot rings out. A shot that was meant for Peeta. Instead, the bullet enters the head of my childhood friend. The one who hunted with me. The one who wanted to run away with me. The one who called me Catnip.

I look to my patch and watch the 6th dot fade. Gale is gone.

* * *

-On a side note-

Page 17 of the Hunger Games

**"Gale and I agree that if we have to choose between dying of hunger and a bullet in the head, the bullet would be much quicker."**

Dark, but true.

* * *

Please be kind and review.


	27. 27

**A/N: Wow! It's been an incredible journey. 8 months, 249 pages, 67,156 words- this is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. I'll let you know before you read that this is the last chapter of Flying Sparks :'( So sad, I know, but please read, review, SAVOR, and enjoy this last bit. Thanks! **

(27)

I don't know what's happening anymore. My senses turn off. I don't hear my own screams. I don't notice as Leanore drops the guns and begins to walk off. I hardly realize that Finnick is charging up the hill after her, that he has his weapon in a position that could kill her. Instead, I drop to the ground and find myself burst into tears.

The smell of blood is fresh in the air. I look around and see so many lifeless bodies on the ground. Wasted lives, I think. The Capitol soldiers have shot so many of them dead. They begin marching off to the hovercraft in lines. Their job here is done. Deep down I know that we have lost. We put up a good fight, but it only takes a look at my patch to know that it is over. The ninth dot is still red, but I don't see how that matters anymore. I have lost my will to live.

I hobble up the hill and lay down next to Gale. I face him and start talking to him. "Remember all those years ago when we discussed our hunting? We both said that hunting for fresh game was worth the risks associated with it. It would be better to be shot than to starve. Well now this was a different hunt with different game, game I'm starving for. You were shot, Gale, but I sure as hell know that I'm not going to starve. I'm going to keep hunting," I say, tears coating my eyes.

"You never got to enjoy life, did you? You spend all of this time fighting to keep your family alive and the end result is this. Your brothers were murdered by flowers, who knows where your mother and sister are and you've been… you've been…." I can't finish my sentence. "Your whole life has been danger, risk, pain and unrequited love. I am truly sorry, Gale." I finish my hysterical speech and stand up to go.

I can't bear to look at him anymore, can't stand to see the blood… so I walk away without another word. I don't know where I'm going, but I fall into a daze and a soldier takes me by the arm and pulls me into the hovercraft. I don't put up a fight. Whatever comes next is probably something necessary. Just another consequence of a fair loss.

I wish I was in my head for the next hour. I wish I was able to experience emotion when the soldiers shot at Annie, when she was hit and when Finnick went to fight back. I wish that I could have stopped him, but he foolishly took them all on and didn't live to tell the tale. I don't even hear the splitting of his neck, but I see it. The torn flesh of someone so beautiful, someone who I'd become friends with sends shivers up my spine. I wish I understood what was happening when Peyton Hawthorne tore me away from the soldiers, when my father came running down the hovercraft, yelling and screaming at us to run. I wish I was able to understand that we were running for our lives, but I didn't care. When we ran away from the hovercraft and the rebels that were still alive took shelter in the houses, I didn't understand what was happening.

Then there was the explosion, the realization of what has happened, the darkening of the 16th dot and I wake from my nonresponsive state. It takes one look out the window to see that the Capitol hovercraft has been blown to pieces. My jaw drops and I feel my father wrap his arms around me. I stop breathing, taking it all in.

"We've won, Kat," he says in my ear.

My brain refuses to believe it. Could it really be possible? The explosion of the hovercraft must have killed Snow and all those soldiers. Looking at my patch, it appears Plutarch didn't make it either. I spend a few minutes staring out the window, trying to comprehend what has just happened. Annie is gone, Beetee and Effie are gone, Finnick sacrificed himself for the woman he loved, Gale sacrificed himself for his best friend, Haymitch was killed by the very weapon that he sparked rebellion with, Leanore has died with the rest of the Capitol, died a traitor who will never be rewarded, Plutarch died taking down the Capitol. That's a lot to think about.

It isn't long before my motherly instinct kicks in and I turn to my father asking where Revelyn is. For a moment, his look is uncertain and I feel life slipping away from me. Then we hear a quiet knock on the door. He gets up and opens it. On the other side of the door is a shaken Madge with my daughter in her hands.

"I… I was able to save her," Madge pronounces slowly. "Leanore… went mad."

"I think she was always mad," I say, standing up to take Revelyn from her hands. My sweet baby girl is sleeping soundly. "I am forever in debt to you, Madge," I tell her.

She just stands in the doorway, looking down at her feet. She must know about Gale. Of course she does. Gale. My heart crashes. To distract myself, I ask, "How's Prim? And Peeta, where is he?"

"Prim is completely unharmed. She's in a room by herself. I figured she needed some time to take it all in. And Peeta? He's just fine," my father speaks up. "We put him down on a bed to rest a bit."

"There was something with Revelyn that I thought you should see," Madge says, handing me a sheet of paper. "It's in Leanore's hand writing. I think she sang it to Revelyn."

I take the paper and unfold it, reading aloud the words of a lullaby:

"Hush little baby, there's nothing to say

Mommy's gonna kill you a mockingjay.

And if that mockingjay won't die,

Mommy's gonna destroy all their lives.

And if their lives won't be destroyed,

Mommy's gonna fall into a void.

And when it all is said and done,

We'll know for sure the Capitol won."

I shiver at the end. I know there's no way my daughter understood this, but the fact that Leanore had been singing it to her disturbs me greatly.

"Katniss… what's with your arm?" my father says gently.

Before he had said anything, I thought I was doing a pretty good job with ignoring the pain I was feeling in my arm. I figured it was more important that my daughter was alright than to go off and worry about myself.

"I got shot," I say, almost as if discussing the weather.

Madge's eyes widen and my father appears stunned. He asks me to sit down and remove the wrappings from my arm. When he sees the injury, he says that I need to go to the hospital level underground. He walks me outside and I see the ash remains of the hovercraft. I can hardly believe it still. Everything that has happened seems like a dream to me, or more of a nightmare.

We go to Level 23: Medical Attention Center. Of course, there is no one there, so my father sends a signal for a paramedic. Soon I am in a hospital-like setting. With my wound and the dirt all over my body, I feel like I'm coming out of the Hunger Games all over again. These past three years have been filled with death for me. Death and pain. The list goes on and on. They give me a shot that puts me to sleep. I'm grateful for an escape.

When I wake again, I know I've been asleep for a few days. My first thought is how Revelyn got along without me, but the first people I see are Peeta and her. He walks into my room with her in his arms. My arm is bandaged. I wish I could hold her, but the doctors advise me not to.

"Hey," Peeta says, looking at me. He grabs the hand of my uninjured arm. "How you doing?" he asks.

"I'm fine," I say. "I don't understand what the big fuss is about."

He laughs lightly, "Yeah…"

I watch him for a moment. The way he is interacting with Revelyn is so sweet. He lets her hold his fingers and doesn't mind the baby drool that gets all over them. He strokes her face back and forth and plays with her black hair which has grown in a bit.

That's when it hits me. Out of nowhere, I remember going to Level One and hearing things in the black glass. Voices were telling me to go back to District 12. I know it's crazy, but I think that I should. So without any hesitation, I tell Peeta about it.

"You think that the gems in the glass were… _speaking_ to you?" Peeta asks.

"Yes. I'm sure of it. I need to go back. Someone is there waiting for us. Someone who everyone believes to be dead, but isn't," I tell him.

"You're convinced about this?" he questions.

"Yes, I am."

A few days later, Peeta, Madge, Prim and I begin our journey to the District 12 ruins, leaving Revelyn with my father. We don't pack many supplies, figuring that we won't be staying long. On the trip, I get time to bond with all three of them. Peeta and I try to imagine a brighter future with no Capitol. Madge and I mourn the deaths of those lost. I get closer with my sister through many conversations. After a two day trek, we arrive in District 12.

Peeta walks over to the remains of the bakery and I think I see him shed a tear. Prim gravitates to our home. I follow Madge. Parts of her house are still standing. She walks inside and I swear I hear a voice. We both walk in further and I see movement. I finally decide to call out, "We're here for you! Everyone thinks you've died, but you haven't."

Peeta and Prim hear my calls and join Madge and me. Peeta grabs my hand and squeezes it to give me some confidence. The person who steps out of the shadows of Madge's home is not at all who I was expecting or hoping for, but seeing them brings all these fresh new questions to my mind. I need to know everything.

"Mother?" Madge says, mouth agape. The woman in front of me is unmistakably Maysilee Donner.

* * *

**END OF BOOK THREE**

**A/N: It would be cruel to end a book like that... so don't worry. There will be an epilogue :)**

**Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the Countdown to Mockingjay contest. I really appreciate it and guess what? - I won 1st Place in the Complete category!**


	28. Epilogue

_Epilogue—10 years later_

"What do you think of this one?" Cinna says, fastening the clasps in the back of my dress. It is a simple black dress with a fire, starting at my heart, off my left shoulder. I twirl around a few times.

"I could dance in it," I tell him.

"That's a yes, then," he says with a smile. Cinna is dressing me for the Public Address tonight. Peeta and I need to make an announcement to Panem. "Your hair needs some help," Cinna snickers.

"Oh, shhh…" I tell him. "I'm thinking about getting it cut to shoulder-length. It hasn't been that short since I was four. Speaking of being four, I've got to check on Seraphina."

I leave my bedroom and walk into the playroom. Seraphina is looking through some picture books on her own. I can tell already that she's going to be the scholar of the family. Cinna even got her a pair of glasses for her fourth birthday to give her an intelligent edge. Why couldn't my hair be more like her's? She has beautiful blond hair, the same shade as Peeta's, and it's pin straight. I wish my hair was as manageable.

I turn around to leave the playroom and call out for my husband. "Peeta!" I shout.

"Over here," he calls back.

I find him squashed in our small powder room. I squeeze between him and the wall and give him a kiss. He's fixing his tie. I help him with it. After all these years, Cinna still designs our clothes and we are still the "fiery" couple. Seraphina and Aiden's names reflect that. "Have you seen Aiden?" I ask Peeta as I finish his tie.

"No… why?" he asks.

"Why? Because the Address is in less than half an hour and all five of us need to be in those couches looking neat and tidy at least five minutes before it begins!" I say.

"I'll get him…" Peeta says with a sigh. He steps out of the bathroom and calls, "Aiden Gale Mellark!"

"Coming!" a call comes back. Within moments, our eight-year-old son is standing at the powder room door.

"Good hustle," Peeta says, patting his shoulder.

I wipe off a few hairs from his jacket. "Please don't ruin this outfit, Aiden. Cinna just made it for you," I tell him.

"Alright," he says, looking into my eyes. It's those blue eyes. Aiden has them, Revelyn has them. It appeared at first that Seraphina would have them, but her eyes changed to brown a few days after she was born. Those blue eyes pierce you in a way. Aiden reminds me so much of his father.

"Revelyn!" I call up the stairs. "It's time to go!"

Revelyn Rue Mellark is just about the prettiest girl I've ever seen, and I don't say this only because I'm her mother. She has her hair in curls today. Cinna called in a hair stylist to do her hair just for the Address. She steps down the stairs in her red dress and makes a statement. I take a moment just to appreciate her beauty before going back into the playroom to get Seraphina.

When we reach the theater, the cameramen direct us on how to sit and face the cameras. I've done it many times before, so I know what we're supposed to do. It's mainly for the benefit of Aiden and Revelyn. They count off on their fingers and then we're live.

"Good evening, Panem and Happy 10th Birthday! It has been 10 years since the Capitol has been defeated and the Districts abolished. The Hunger Games are long since over, but on our 10th birthday as a country, we thought we'd tell you a little bit about what was masked in the Hunger Games," Peeta says.

"This is the first time we're sharing this information with anyone outside the inner trust circle. It is time you knew what really happened 10 years ago and the 75 years before that. You see, in the real world, there are very few blood-thirsty malicious people who are taken into the Hunger Games to kill. What then is the motive in the arena? The will to stay alive? The pressure of the viewers? No, ladies and gentlemen. Drugs. The Capitol had so many of the tributes on drugs, while several others had things whispered to them using bugs in their ears," I say.

"In fact, I was one of those people. At the beginning of the 74th Hunger Games, I received a drug which heightened my emotions and gave me a greater reason to kill. I felt that death was normal and expected. I felt the need to kill. The bugs were also implanted into people's heads. They whispered things at convenient times to the tributes. Most of them never spoke about the bugs, thinking that they were probably crazy and hearing things. That's one reason why I never told anyone about it. I didn't want to appear crazy," Peeta says.

"So during the 74th Games, rebellion was just about to break out. The genius behind setting it loose was Melanie Donner Undersee. She convinced our District escort to rig the Reapings with Peeta's and Prim's names and enlisted a rebellious designer to make statements for us. She implanted the mockingjay rebellion symbol through her daughter giving me a pin as my district token. She had a romantic affair with a District 12 former victor, Haymitch Abernathy, and convinced him on ways to coach us and direct us in the arena," I say.

"We thought it was time that everyone knew the truth," Peeta finishes.

We wait a few moments looking at the screen before I say, "Our country has had the roughest history of any country in the world. The number of helpless children killed in the Hunger Games over 74 years is absolutely outrageous. Over 1,700 children died as a result of them. The death toll in the District 13 War was over 2,000 people. And for what reason? To demonstrate the power of the Capitol? The Capitol has fallen. The deaths are behind us. Let us celebrate!" I announce.

The Address ends we are released from the theater. I hurry home to prepare for having Prim, Madge and Posy over for dinner. Prim has become one of the most successful doctors in Panem, but she doesn't own a big fancy house and neither does our family, even though Peeta is President. Madge adopted Posy Hawthorne after Gale passed. She remains a widower of ten years and thinks of Gale every day. We have a memorial for him in our background. I visit every Sunday and say a prayer for him.

Johanna and Morrison married a few years ago. They don't live too far from us. Morrison runs and operates his own coffee shop. He called it "Jamie's Place" and he bakes all of the bread and serves the coffee. Johanna happily does nothing except wake up to the smell of coffee. They are the strangest couple you could imagine, but somehow, they remain happy together.

Peeta became the country's President when my father resigned two years ago. My dad is now living 15 minutes away from Prim in a small cottage, retired and content. You would think Peeta would have many responsibilities as President, but somehow he manages to balance the country with his family life and painting. It is still his passion. The only artwork we have in our house is his. They are individual masterpieces.

Cinna practically lives with us now. He's always around and we have great fun with him and the family. I can look forward to every night because my husband is always there for me. He is never too busy to spend time with me.

Some nights though, I'll fall asleep and have nightmares remembering the troubles of the Games, the war, the arena. I have been scarred for life by the horrors the Capitol has placed upon me. It is constantly unbearable looking back at all the blood that was spilled to get me where I am now. I am eternally grateful to those who have given their lives for the rebellion, for the country, for me. I will never forget them.

Many nights, after I've tucked Revelyn, Aidan and Seraphina into bed, I'll step outside and climb a tree. That's where I'll meet Gale. He comes for me sometimes and whispers to me through the wind. He always says the same thing. "I love you, Catnip. Be strong." And I am… for Gale.

I remember a time when I thought there was no hope for the future. Now I'm in it and the future is as bright as it gets. My work is done.

____

_Fin._

* * *

**A/N: Wow. It is finally over *tear* **

**Thank you soooo much for your continous support for this story. I couldn't have done it without you.**

**I really hope you enjoyed my story. Please drop a review :) Thank you!**

**signed,**

**sparksflying**


	29. Note for the Fans!

Hey Flying Sparks fans! I know it's almost been a year since the story has ended. I'm happy to say that I think my writing has improved over the course of the year and you all have a lot to look forward to. Catching Fire - Peeta Version (Holding Flames) is ON. Also, I'll be starting Revelyn's life story. Here is a sneak preview. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

"Tell us, Revelyn! What's it like having a mother like Katniss Everdeen?" the reporters surround me, pulling on the back of my dress. It is late evening and the press is just starting the coverage on my Sixteenth Birthday Extravaganza. Mom and Dad had denied the permission for them to host the event on television because they claim "we should all lead humble lives." Unfortunately, the publicists don't know a thing about humble lives except for the fact that they are uninteresting and they continued with their plans for the event anyway. The paparazzi all seem to be able to get footage of me and broadcast it everywhere.

I whisper, "No comment," quickly back to the man who tugged on me, a balding man who looks to be in his fifties. They won't take 'no comment' for an answer.

"Surely you have something to say," he insists, squeezing on my wrist as if he is squeezing the words out of me. "What a weekend this must be for you! You're turning sixteen, your mother is addressing the nation, and a formal event is being held in your honor by our retired President Everdeen!"

I nod my head shakily and pull away from him, making my way to the edge of the mass of reporters. I repeat, "No comment."

The press makes one final attempt to catch me. Another man shouts out, with much more force, "Do you believe the rumors that your father is part of a conspiracy?"

"What?" I say, raising my voice as I whip around to face them in surprise.

"They say that he was all part of President Snow's plan. There is also speculation that he will try to bring back the Hunger Games. Do you have a comment on that?" the young man belts towards me over the hums of microphones and scratching pens.

My jaw drops slightly and I let out a little gasp of air.

Well that's it for the excerpt. Hope you enjoyed! Be on the lookout for new stories :)


	30. Another Note for the Fans

Hello Fans of Flying Sparks! I'm writing a second note on here to tell you all that I am no longer going to pursue Fanfiction.

But WAIT. Before you click out of this page, I'd like you to know that I **am** continuing writing. I have never stopped writing. Recently though, I have been writing original fiction. I am in the genre of dystopia, which I'm sure you all know and love. If you want to continue reading my writing (which has improved!) you can check out the links on my profile to read my work on two other websites.

Here is a little bit about my novel, Pinned:

The government has sent a secret mission underway.

Their plan: Operation Ark.

One girl must make the decision between doing what is right and what is expected.

Savina Willow wants to get away from it all: the rules, the  
punishments, and the little mind games her leaders play with her.  
In one horrific night, she and all the other children are  
captured and taken to strange government buildings.

She and her best friend, Jev, escape into the wild, where they  
meet a mysterious boy on a mission and an intimidating girl with  
a secret. Together, the four of them will struggle to survive  
through the new system their leaders have set in place and Savina  
is forced to make a decision that will not only change her life,  
but the fate of the world.

Thank you everyone! I love you all for the support. God bless!


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